Steelers Stunned in a Heartbreaking Thursday Night Disaster

By Ryan Schneider | Steelers HQ

10/18/2025

 

Tomlin’s Thursday Night Record

 

Mike Tomlin’s Thursday night record has dropped to 9-11, with the record cascading to 2-10 for road games on Thursday. If you thought that was depressing as a Steelers fan, what I’m about to tell you is even more so embarrassing. The Steelers under the Mike Tomlin era have never beaten an AFC North foe on Thursday Night Football, with the official record snowballing to 0-7. There is a feeling amongst Steelers fans that Mike Tomlin doesn’t have his team ready to play on short weeks. That couldn’t be more evident Thursday night, as Ja’Marr Chase absolutely obliterated the black and yellow secondary for 23 targets, 16 receptions, 161 receiving yards, and a touchdown. 

Let’s Discuss Jalen Ramsey

 

As previously stated, Ja’Marr Chase did whatever he pleased to the Steelers secondary, especially when matched up with cornerback Jalen Ramsey. This was the all-pro’s worst graded game of the season. The Pro Football Focus (PFF) coverage stats suggest that he finished with a 47.4 coverage grade and 54.7 defensive grade. Jalen only gave up four receptions on five targets, for a total of 35 yards, but that doesn’t paint the whole picture. He picked up a devastating pass interference call on the Ja’Marr Chase touchdown drive, thus putting the Bengals in prime position to finish the drive in the endzone. 

 

Situational football seemed to be a killer for Jalen Ramsey Thursday night against the rivaled Bengals. Right before halftime, Jalen was beaten for two colossal receptions, which helped set up Evan McPherson for a 49-yard field goal and give Cincinnati a 17-10 lead at intermission. 

 

 

The acquisition of Jalen Ramsey in the off-season was largely meant for one matchup: the Cincinnati Bengals and guarding their elite receiver duo in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Prior to the Thursday night matchup, Ramsey was quoted saying the following, “Coach Tomlin told us from the jump, right from training camp, he got all of us for a reason. It was to lock these guys up and be able to play man across the board.” It was a game the former all-pro corner wants to wipe from his memory. The amount of hate that was being directed Jalen’s way on social media was alarming. Sure, he had a terrible game, but I do not believe the corner is “washed” like a large contingency of the fandom. If these poor performances continue to tally up, then we can have that discussion.

 

Jalen seemed to take responsibility when talking to reporters postgame. “We have to play better, starting with myself, when the opportunity presents itself,” stated Ramsey when mentioning his subpar play. “It’s part of the game. When you have receivers that are superstars in the league, you know that they get away with (expletive) like that. It is what it is. Next play, you gotta play the game, you got to execute when you get the opportunity to execute.” One can’t argue with his stance, but the subtle hint that officiating helped dictate the outcome of this matchup is ludicrous. The eye test alone will show that Ramsey was outmatched Thursday night. 

 

 

Teryl Austin’s Lack of Adjustments

 

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator, Teryl Austin, was the center of attention Thursday night regarding Steelers social media and the black and yellow fandom. His stubbornness, and unwillingness to switch out of man coverage, helped play a pivotal role in the outcome on the field. It was clear as day that all-pro Jalen Ramsey was not having his best night, and it may have helped to shade a safety overtop to double the superstar receiver. 

 

This is a performance-based league. Austin could have looked like a genius playing man if only the pass rush and run defense were clicking on all cylinders. Bengals running back Chase Brown made the Steelers defense look nonsensical as he ran for 108 rush yards on 11 attempts, making the average 9.8 yards per carry (YPC). As for the pass rush, T.J. Watt is the heart of the edge-rushing unit, and he only tallied 0.5 sacks and 1 tackle for the evening. “It seemed like everything was going wrong,” Watt stated after the game. “It was an absolutely unacceptable performance from most of the defensive side of the ball.” Hopefully when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Green Bay Packers next Sunday night, Teryl Austin has a game plan that properly suites the skills of the secondary, and puts these elite pass rushers in position to make game-changing plays. 

Steelers Offense One Weapon Away From Contention

A.J. Brown could be the missing link

 

By Ryan Schneider | Steelers HQ

 

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers offense looked in sync this past weekend, when Aaron Rodgers and company held on to an impressive 24-21 win over the Minnesota Vikings. The prized summer acquisition, D.K. Metcalf, looked unstoppable as he glided past defenders for an 80-yard touchdown. Still, this offense lacks the ability to close out games. If Omar Khan were to pull the trigger on A.J. Brown, the questions about this offense’s WR2 would cease to exist. That conversation certainly gets more interesting after the hospitalization of Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin. Making this move would instantly move the Pittsburgh Steelers into one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. 

 

 

A.J. Brown’s Cryptic Tweet

 

After the Philadelphia Eagles game on Sunday, star receiver A.J. Brown took to X to post the following:

 

 

“If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”

 

Now, A.J. Brown did quickly clarify his statement in the following days, stating that his post was a mere boiling point for him, and in no way was this directed at his team or other Eagles personnel. 

 

This song and dance has been seen many times with star players growing frustrated with their current setting and seeking a trade. In many of these instances, the public relations aspect immediately kicks in and the player apologizes.  There is a very real chance that A.J. Brown is done with the Eagles and wants a fresh start. 

 

 

Do the Steelers and Omar Khan make this move?

 

As much as this move makes football sense for the Steelers, I don’t believe Omar Khan wants to put together the high-value assets to acquire this star receiver. One player I keep hearing in trade talks for A.J. Brown would be edge rusher Alex Highsmith. Would Khan put together a package consisting of Alex Highsmith and a 3^rd round pick? Would Calvin Austin and multiple draft picks satisfy the Eagles? 

 

Another thing Omar Khan needs to consider is the salary aspect of A.J. Brown. In 2024, he signed a 3-year, $96 million contract extension with the Eagles, with a cap hit of $17,523,497 in 2025. This extension ends in 2030, when A.J. Brown will be a free agent. 

 

If the Pittsburgh Steelers decide on moving forward with this proposal, it will be a long-term move, with A.J. and D.K. as two cornerstones in the years to come. Do the Steelers go all in here and risk the future by giving up valuable draft assets and key defenders? One could argue they could have both if done correctly.