\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMike Tomlin thrives living on the margins. The Pittsburgh Steelers coach loves it when things get \u201cthick,\u201d to borrow one of his favorite words.Things have rarely been murkier during Tomlin\u2019s 19-year tenure than they are right now for the Steelers (6-5).Pittsburgh\u2019s once-comfortable AFC North lead is gone following its fourth loss in six games, this one a 31-28 defeat in Chicago on Sunday that ceded the top spot in the division to Baltimore.What cost Pittsburgh this game? Analysis from Tim Benz in the video player aboveYes, there are still half a dozen weeks to go. Yes, a pair of meetings with the Ravens loom. And yes, Tomlin anticipates having Aaron Rodgers back on Sunday when Buffalo visits after the NFL\u2019s oldest active player and his broken left wrist sat out against the Bears.Still, the formula that Tomlin and the Steelers have long relied on during their successful, if not always spectacular (not for the past decade-plus anyway), partnership appears to have hit a rocky patch that may be difficult to escape.Whenever things have gotten sideways in the past, Tomlin\u2019s players have talked about doing the little things right often enough so that the big things follow suit.Yet Tomlin said a lot when he offered the following eight words while trying to describe how the Steelers (6-5) lost for the 13th time in their 14 visits to Chicago.\u201cIt\u2019s just tight when it\u2019s good on good.\u201dFor years, Pittsburgh has leaned into that tightness. The coach who frequently says he doesn\u2019t seek comfort has embraced that discomfort, confident his team will respond.Of late, it hasn\u2019t. And the tiny, minute details that the Steelers believe make all the difference have not been corrected.Three moments from yet another winless day in the Windy City laid Pittsburgh\u2019s inattentiveness to detail bare for all to see.On fourth-and-1 in Chicago territory in the second quarter, Pittsburgh called for a \u201ctush push,\u201d with tight end Connor Heyward lining up behind center rather than opting for a field goal well within kicker Chris Boswell\u2019s range. At the snap, Heyward paused and was stopped for no gain before getting into an animated discussion with running back Kenneth Gainwell. The Bears took over and drove for a tying touchdown.Tomlin later said if a team can\u2019t gain a yard, it doesn\u2019t deserve to win. Maybe, but the reality is the Steelers didn\u2019t execute the play correctly. That became obvious when faced with the same situation later in the half. This time, Heyward paused at the snap and handed the ball to Gainwell, who raced around the right end for a 55-yard gain.The Bears were threatening to take the lead in the third quarter when they faced a third-and-6 at the Pittsburgh 25. Two Steelers errors quickly followed. Rookie outside linebacker Jack Sawyer was flagged for offside, a penalty Chicago happily declined because the free play ended with Caleb Williams finding a wide-open D.J. Moore for a touchdown without a defender anywhere near him, thanks to a mix-up in coverage.Pittsburgh was frantically trying to get into position for a tying field goal in the final minutes when quarterback Mason Rudolph tucked the ball and darted 22 yards to midfield. The play was called back for an illegal formation when neither Gainwell nor wide receiver Calvin Austin III \u2014 both of whom were lined up to the right \u2014 failed to step up to the line of scrimmage before the snap. Pittsburgh ended up punting.Three plays. Three avoidable miscues. Three momentum swings. Little margin for error going forward.\u201cWe have a lot of things to fix quickly,\u201d outside linebacker T.J. Watt said.The clock is ticking.What\u2019s workingThe running back tandem of Gainwell and Jaylen Warren. The duo combined for 190 yards of total offense and two touchdowns against Chicago a week after rolling up 172 yards in a win over Cincinnati. Considering the lack of explosion coming from the passing game, and with little evidence that an explosion is coming anytime soon, Warren and Gainwell could and probably should see an even greater workload down the stretch.What needs helpGetting off the field on third down. The Steelers have allowed opponents to convert nearly 43% of their third downs, following the Bears\u2019 7-of-13 success rate on Sunday.Stock upThe odds of landing a franchise quarterback in next year\u2019s draft. Rodgers\u2019 solid start briefly spurred talk locally that maybe the team should explore his willingness to return in 2026 at age 42. When Rudolph \u2014 one of two quarterbacks on the roster under contract next season \u2014 guided the offense so deftly against the Bengals, he looked as if someone who could be a bridge if Pittsburgh wanted to turn its eyes toward the 2027 QB draft class instead. So much for that. Stock downOptimism. The Steelers were bullish on their prospects after their 4-1 start. While Tomlin talks frequently about wanting his group to be a team \u201con the rise\u201d as Thanksgiving gives way to Christmas, Pittsburgh instead remains wildly inconsistent. The only team in the AFC with multiple wins over division leaders (New England and Indianapolis) also looks highly gettable on a weekly basis, regardless of the quality of the opponent.InjuriesCB Joey Porter Jr. went down with a hip flexor and did not return. … LT Broderick Jones left late in the game with a stinger. … WR DK Metcalf gamely limped his way through the second half after twisting an ankle. … OLB Alex Highsmith has missed the past two games with a pectoral injury but may have a chance to return against the Bills.Key number2 \u2014 number of times the Steelers have had a quarterback go over 300 yards passing since the start of the 2021 season. Next stepsTry to do something they\u2019ve only done once so far in five tries: beat Josh Allen. Pittsburgh\u2019s lone victory against the Bills since Allen became the starter was a Week 1 stunner in Buffalo to open the 2021 season.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tPITTSBURGH (AP) \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Mike Tomlin thrives living on the margins. The Pittsburgh Steelers coach loves it when things get \u201cthick,\u201d to borrow one of his favorite words.<\/p>\n
Things have rarely been murkier during Tomlin\u2019s 19-year tenure than they are right now for the Steelers (6-5)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pittsburgh\u2019s once-comfortable AFC North lead is gone following its fourth loss in six games, this one a 31-28 defeat in Chicago<\/a> on Sunday that ceded the top spot in the division to Baltimore.<\/p>\n What cost Pittsburgh this game? Analysis from Tim Benz in the video player above<\/p>\n