Sean McDermott’s team on the ropes, 4 other things to know about Bills vs. Steelers

It’s a clash of 2024 playoff teams that are on somewhat shaky ground when it comes to getting back to the postseason. The Buffalo Bills are 7-4 and trail the first-place New England Patriots in the AFC East, a division Sean McDermott’s team has owned since 2020.

The 6-5 Pittsburgh Steelers have dropped four of their last six games after a 4-1 start. Mike Tomlin’s first-place club (thanks to the Ravens’ home loss to the Bengals on Thanksgiving night) has been erratic at best, and their big-name defense has looked below average too many times. The offense has also been inconsistent, although veteran Aaron Rodgers (who missed last week’s game at Chicago) has been the team’s best quarterback since vintage Ben Roethlisberger.

This is a banged-up Bills’ team that has had big problems stopping the run all season. Will that continue on Sunday against a very-ordinary Pittsburgh ground attack? Can quarterback Josh Allen avoid the rash of recent mistakes? This is a huge contest for both clubs in terms of the playoff picture. A Buffalo loss would drop the team’s conference record to 4-4.

Bills vs. Steelers history

Dating back to 2019 and including a playoff clash at Orchard Park, the Bills are 4-1 in their last five meetings with the Steelers. Their most recent encounter came in the 2023 postseason, when Josh Allen and company rolled to a 31-17 win in Buffalo. The Bills’ last appearance in the Steel City came back in 2019, when McDermott’s team squeezed out a 17-10 Sunday night win. Prior to that, the Steelers had won six straight meetings between the clubs from 2001-2016.

Bills suffering ball insecurity

In 2024, the Bills tied a single-season NFL record with only eight turnovers. They also secured the ball in all three playoff games and their first three contests this season. So McDermott’s suddenly-sloppy team has gone from eight miscues in 23 outings (all by Allen), to 15 turnovers in their last eight games (11 by Allen).

Tomlin’s supposed forte is defense. Entering Week 13, the team had allowed the fifth-most total yards per game in the NFL (364.5). You have to go back to 2013 to find the last time a Steelers’ team allowed at least 30 points in a season in five games. Pittsburgh has allowed 155 points (31.0 average) in five losses.

Nov 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) follows the play against the Cincinnati Bengals | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Steelers’ pass rushers all bear watching

Buffalo entered Week 13 with the league’s top ground attack, averaging 147.2 yards per game. The team has rushed for 20 touchdowns, led by Allen (10) and James Cook (8). They should be able to exploit an inconsistent Pittsburgh defense that has been scorched down the middle of the field by opposing runners.

What a trio. Steelers’ outside linebackers T.J. Watt (7.0), emerging Nick Herbig (6.5), and Alex Highsmith (5.5) have combined for 19 sacks, along with 43 QB hits, six forced fumbles, two interceptions, and three fumble recoveries (1 TD). The Bills will be minus starting tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown on Sunday.

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