A 2-point game to the end, and Steelers had it 2-0. Michael Pittman moved the ball for Steelers — 2 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD. Tetairoa McMillan did the catching for Panthers — 5 catches, 67 yards, 1 TD — in a losing effort. A lean spell for Drew Allar, whose last three have averaged 191 passing yards against a season figure of 284. Total yards: Steelers 238, Panthers 216.

Jordan Hayes: "Pittsburgh's ground game disappeared when it mattered most—48 rushing yards is not competing in a shootout—and that imbalance forced them to live by the pass against a Ravens team that was comfortable running it."

Ravens and Steelers combined for 62. Somebody had to lose it. Drew Allar did the damage for Steelers — 17/25, 289 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT — in a losing effort. Lamar Jackson did the damage for Ravens — 21/27, 317 yards, 1 TD. A lean spell for Drew Allar, whose last three have averaged 213 passing yards against a season figure of 291. Total yards: Ravens 445, Steelers 337.

Ava Collins: "Houston's turnover problem sank them before the Steelers even had to be perfect. The Texans coughed it up 4 times, and when you're playing a team that scored 47, you don't get that kind of margin for error." Marcus Reyes: "Houston just walked into a clinic on ball security. Four giveaways against a Steelers team that's now +13 on the season in turnover margin isn't a fluke—it's a preview of how this playoff matchup likely ends."

A long afternoon for Texans. Steelers by 37. Drew Allar did the damage for Steelers — 22/29, 249 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT. C.J. Stroud threw for Texans — 18/36, 231 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT — in a losing effort. Total yards: Steelers 393, Texans 316.

Denver beat Pittsburgh 38-30 in a game that came down to execution rather than strategy—the Steelers threw the ball 79 percent of the time, well above their season average of 67, and still managed 334 passing yards to Denver's 262, yet Bo Nix's 4 touchdown passes and the Broncos' 3 sacks made the difference. DK Metcalf caught 6 passes for 176 yards and 2 scores, a dominant performance that couldn't overcome Drew Allar's 3 interceptions and Pittsburgh's miscues, which included 3 giveaways to Denver's 2. Both teams sit at 7-4, but the advanced numbers show why Denver's win was earned: the Broncos have the stronger scoring margin when schedule difficulty is factored in at 4.8 points, while Pittsburgh's turnover advantage over the season (8.0) finally met its match.

Steelers 42, Browns 5, and it was not that close. Drew Allar threw for Steelers — 19/36, 341 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT. Michael Pittman was the target for Steelers — 5 catches, 108 yards, 2 TD. Worth noting: Taylen Green, 69 overall, is 5 in the league in passing yards. Total yards: Steelers 485, Browns 201.

Falcons and Steelers combined for 101. Somebody had to lose it. Michael Penix Jr did the damage for Falcons — 18/25, 452 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT. Drew Allar threw for Steelers — 16/25, 409 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT — in a losing effort. Total yards: Falcons 606, Steelers 512.