The goal of making playoffs? That was left unfulfilled. But the Pittsburgh Steelers were pleased with their consolation prize of continuing the franchise’s streak of non-losing seasons.

Sunday’s 28-14 victory against the Cleveland Browns lifted the Steelers to a 9-8 finish. While that record won’t win the organization any trophies, that’s no small feat after their 3-7 start. Likewise, that this makes it 19 consecutive years of finishing with as many or more wins than losses is a laudable accomplishment.

While the streak began in 2004, the run these days is most often attributed to coach Mike Tomlin. He took over in 2007, and his 16 seasons of .500-or-better seasons is the longest in NFL history to begin a coaching career.

“That was just for ‘Mike T,’ man,” running back Najee Harris said after Sunday’s game. “When we started at 2-6, he said, ‘I’m not going to change the way I’m coaching, I’m not going to blink, I’m going to be the same guy.’

“He never changed. He never switched up. That’s just leadership and for us to come in here and win for him and not have that losing season, I think that was big for us.”

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) January 8, 2023

The Steelers’ 19-season streak of non-losing seasons ties the 2001-19 New England Patriots for the second-longest in NFL history behind just the Dallas Cowboys’ 21-year run from 1965-85. That was under legendary coach Tom Landry, and New England’s came with Bill Belichick at the helm. Those are the only two coaches to preside over a streak of more consecutive non-losing seasons than Tomlin.

Several Steelers have spoke about how extending the streak for Tomlin provided motivation.

“It means everything,” safety Terrell Edmunds said. “Coach Tomlin, he gives us everything — his time, his patience, everything. He’s bluntly honest. He’s just going out there wanting us to win. He wants to see everyone do the best they can on the field and off the field. So, just playing for a guy like coach Tomlin and being able to keep that tradition going for him, it that’s just amazing for us.”

Some seem to be sick of hearing about it

The players? It means a lot to many of them https://t.co/zX025ucZFl

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) December 15, 2022

Many players — longtime veterans and rookies alike — expressed how they did not want to let down the tradition of staying in contention that the .500-or-better streak represents. Since the streak began in 2004, only twice have the Steelers taken the field for a game without having a chance to make the playoffs — the season finales in 2006 (under former coach Bill Cowher) and in 2012.

The latter is the only one of Tomlin’s 258 games coached in which the Steelers were already eliminated. That included Sunday, when a win plus losses by Miami and New England would have gotten the Steelers into the AFC playoffs.

The Dolphins beat the Jets, 11-6, to end the Steelers’ season — but the streak of non-losing seasons lives on.

“Even though myself and the rookies haven’t been here (long), we didn’t want to be that rookie class — and we just didn’t want to be that team in general — to have it end on,” tight end Connor Heyward said. “You see the time (Tomlin) and all the coaches put in, and we put in a lot of time into this, so we want to get every win we can and I am glad that we got that today. It’s just unfortunate that we are not moving on and that we are done.”

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