Close wins are memorable.
Close losses?
Well, they can be unforgettable.
Such it is with the Steelers' 27-24 loss to the Patriots last December. They led, 24-16, in the fourth quarter, only to have the Patriots score 11 points in the final 3:56. And even with that, the Steelers had an opportunity to regain the lead following a 69-yard catch and run by JuJu Smith-Schuster that put the ball at the New England 10 with 34 seconds remaining.
What happened after that, well, nobody is going to forget.
First came this:
Upon further review, James' apparent go-ahead touchdown was ruled incomplete because he bobbled the ball while reaching across the goal line.
That, of course, led to this play with nine seconds remaining:
Those two plays might have changed the trajectory of the season for both teams. The Steelers, who before that game had won seven of eight games that were decided by seven points or fewer, were handed a defeat that meant they would not have home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, despite a 13-3 record.
The Patriots, meanwhile, rode home field advantage in the playoffs to their 10th Super Bowl appearance.
Those two teams will meet again Sunday at Heinz Field in a game that is crucial for the Steelers (7-5-1) if they hope to make a fifth-straight postseason appearance.
A loss to the Patriots (9-4) could drop the Steelers out of first place in the AFC North, something that seemed unthinkable a month ago. But a three-game losing streak, all three of which have been decided -- much like that game against New England -- in the closing moments, leaves the Steelers grasping for answers.
That's especially true after their latest loss, a 24-21 defeat at the hands of the Raiders (3-10) last Sunday.
"Every person on that field is confident. That’s the way it is in the NFL," Stephon Tuitt said. "But when it comes down to the last few minutes of a game and you’re not getting the job done, you can definitely see some of that confidence starting to go away. You have to be able to stay upright. The only people that can do that for us collectively as a team is us, each individual member; coaches too. We’re still in first place. We have a great opportunity with a great opponent coming up."
That's what the Steelers thought a year ago, as well. They entered that game against New England at 11-2, while the Patriots were 10-3.
There was talk of it being the first of two meetings with New England, with the second coming in the postseason. Mike Tomlin famously proclaimed that to be the case in an interview with NBC's Tony Dungy.
But it never happened, as the Steelers lost, 45-42 -- another one possession defeat -- in the playoffs to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Steelers have been good in one-score games since Tomlin became head coach in 2007, going 53-44-1 in such games. But the Patriots? They've been even better during that period, going 48-26 in games decided by a touchdown or less. The league average, obviously, is .500.
That's exactly where the Steelers find themselves this season, having gone 4-4-1 in one-score games, with three of those four losses coming in the past three weeks.
"We've had opportunities. We just, for whatever reason, haven't found a way to do it," said Ben Roethlisberger, who is 2-10 against the Patriots in games in which he and Tom Brady have started. "I don't think it's from a lack of sense of urgency. I just think it could be a lack of execution, it could be one thing here or there. So we understand what it takes to get it done. We just have to do it."
But, as Tuitt said, when you've had some failures in those situations, it's only natural for some doubt to creep in. Ensuring that doesn't happen is something the Steelers face this week.
After all, they can't afford to wallow in self pity.
"Nothing else really matters except getting a win right now," Tuitt said. "You’re just really focused on getting every nugget that you possibly can to beat the New England Patriots. That’s my mentality right now, and I really believe that is the mindset for the other 52 players on the roster."
Does that mean desperation has set in?
"I wouldn’t use the word desperate yet, only because we’re still leading," Tuitt said. "Desperate is for a team that’s fighting to get into the hunt. Everything's in our hands. We still control everything."
That, however, could change if they lose this week. That's why it's important for the Steelers to compartmentalize any current frustrations or doubts and move on from their latest loss and move on to the next game.
Despite the devastating feeling of that loss to the Patriots last season, the Steelers rebounded to win their final two regular season games, including blowing out Houston the week after the loss to New England.
"You've got to be able to put things behind you and move on," Roethlisberger said of that game and the James play. "And then you go to training camp and they made a rule off of that game, so you hear about it a lot. Obviously, for this week it gets brought up, but for the most part, you have to move on."