Overreaction Monday: Steelers fans are seeing flashbacks of 2020 after loss to Eagles

It's amazing what a difference a week can make. This time seven days ago, it seemed as though the Pittsburgh Steelers had stamped themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders, set to cruise toward an AFC North title after consecutive wins against the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. The team was so confident that, ahead of a marquee Pennsylvania showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, revitalized QB Russell Wilson felt comfortable getting a little loose with the smack talk.

But after a thorough, 27-13 beatdown in Philly on Sunday afternoon, Pittsburgh is waking up Monday morning with more questions than answers. The offense that had done so well staying on schedule and not getting in its own way suddenly couldn't hold on to the ball, putting up just 163 total yards. The defense that had been so dominant earlier in the year got torched through the air by a previously moribund passing attack, giving up 100-yard days to both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Sure, it's just one game. There's still plenty of time ahead of the playoffs, and Pittsburgh still controls its own destiny in the division. But be honest, Steelers fans: After Sunday's performance, does this team feel more like pretender or contender?

Mike Tomlin, Steelers headed for late-season collapse — just like 2020

We know Mike Tomlin's answer to that question. Speaking to reporters after the game, the head coach immediately shot down any concerns about this loss lingering for the rest of the year or presaging a late-season nosedive. "It's a loss," Tomlin said, "let's not get dramatic."

But it's not dramatic to point out that a lot of Pittsburgh's flaws got exposed against an Eagles team that represents the sort of elite competition the Steelers are going to have to go up against come playoff time. Especially because we've seen this act from this team before: Back in 2020, Tomlin's team raced out to an 11-0 start behind one of the league's best defenses and a good-enough offense led by a declining veteran quarterback. But the bottom fell out from there, with four losses in the team's final five regular-season games before a shocking home Wild Card loss to a Cleveland Browns squad that didn't even have its head coach in the stadium.

Tomlin's resume is unimpeachable; there's arguably no one in the league you should trust more to put a competitive product on the field on a weekly basis. But this Eagles loss was hardly a fluke; Pittsburgh is 18th in total offense after 15 weeks, and when it faces a team that can keep TJ Watt and a ferocious front seven at bay, the Steelers struggle to create other advantages that will tilt the game in their favor. That could become a problem come playoff time, even in a weakened AFC. And with a tough closing schedule, including an all-important rematch with the Baltimore Ravens next weekend, Pittsburgh could wind up having to go on the road for most of its postseason journey.