The Steelers finished the 2018 regular season at 9-6-1 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013. It's not a time of much positivity — not for the fans, not for the coaches and certainly not for the players.
Digging into those losses, though, a slightly different picture materializes.
#Steelers losses/ties:
Tie #Browns
Lose by 12 to the #Ravens
Lose by 5 to the #Chiefs
Lose by 7 to the #Broncos
Lose by 3 to the #Chargers
Lose by 3 to the #Raiders
Lose by 3 to the #Saints
This season is flat-out funky. #DKPS
— Hunter Alek Homistek (@HunterAHomistek) December 30, 2018
The team never got "blown out." Only once did they fall by more than seven points. In those seven games where they did not emerge victorious, they were right there. A drama-free, 11-5 or better finish was well within grasp for this Steelers squad, but various mistakes and miscues kept it out of reach.
And that fact makes the whole season sting a little more in the eyes of David DeCastro.
"I think it was a similar season last season, but we just found a way to win games last year,"DeCastro said following the team's 16-13 victory over the Bengals on Sunday. "This year, we found a way to lose them."
Even early in the team's Week 17 contest vs. the 6-9 Bengals at Heinz Field, the situation looked dire. The Steelers fell behind 7-0 early courtesy of a Ben Roethlisberger pick-six, and the offense failed to generate any momentum.
"We were a little flat coming out there," DeCastro acknowledged.
The cause of that, in his eyes, was partly due to the circumstances at play. Going into the game, the Steelers' playoff chances relied on a win and a Browns victory over the Ravens. Another scenario where the Steelers won and the Colts tied the Titans would have put Pittsburgh in the playoffs, but any way you looked at it, the Steelers did not totally control their fate.
"The situation was what it was, feeling a little sorry for ourselves," DeCastro said. "I think we picked it up in the second half, which was nice though."
Ultimately, the Steelers prevailed but the Browns did not, falling 26-24 in a thriller in Baltimore. The Colts defeated the Titans as well Sunday night, leaving the Steelers on the outside looking in.
"It's tough losing a season like that when you know it's not in your control," DeCastro said.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Steelers vs. Bengals, Heinz Field, Dec. 30, 2018 - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS