The balance in the AFC North tilted a bit today. The Pittsburgh Steelers took a rough 25-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, while Baltimore tightened the race by taking care of business in their own game. It was one of those nights where Pittsburgh just couldn’t find a rhythm in any phase. Head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t try to sugarcoat it afterward.

“We stunk it up tonight,” Tomlin remarked, according to Post-Gazette reporter Ray Fittipaldo.

That just about covered it. The Steelers looked flat, out of sync, and short on answers. Their decision not to add a proven wideout before the trade deadline continues to loom large, and it caught up to them here. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had his toughest outing of the season, and the offense never found the gear it needed to keep pace.

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The Steelers just couldn’t find a way through the Chargers’ defense. Los Ángeles smothered them, holding the offense to only 221 total yards. The Chargers forced three turnovers and kept Aaron Rodgers to 16 completions with a passer rating of 50.6. Khalil Mack even got to him in the end zone for a safety, a fitting snapshot of how the night went.

They were bad all around, but the individual mistakes cannot be ignored. Late in the first quarter, Rodgers drifted too deep into the pocket and Mack brought him down for two points. Then, early in the second, a throw meant for DK Metcalf sailed over his head and into the waiting arms of safety RJ Mickens.

Until their final possession, a drive that accounted for most of their yardage, the Steelers’ only points came from a 59-yard field goal. It was clear that Rodgers needed help out wide, and it’s a little surprising as to why the Steelers were so quiet before the trade deadline.

Now, it might cost them the divisional title.

How likely are the Steelers to win the AFC North?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are still sitting on top of the AFC North at 5–4, but that cushion is starting to feel thinner by the week. Right behind them, the Baltimore Ravens are 4–5 and trending in the right direction. They’re getting healthier every week, while Pittsburgh continues to show cracks in the offense.

The schedule tells a story, too. Pittsburgh has a rough stretch ahead: after facing the Bengals next week, they’ll run into the Bears, Bills, and then the Ravens. Baltimore’s next two games, meanwhile, come against the Browns and Jets.

Both very winnable. If things go as expected, the division standings could look very different by early December.

For now, the one bright spot for the Steelers remains the defense. The 25 points allowed in Sunday’s loss to the Chargers don’t reflect how well that unit actually played for most of the game. Through three quarters, they held Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ offense to just 15 points, pressured the quarterback consistently, and kept Pittsburgh within striking distance.

You can’t win many games in this league when your offense only puts up 10 points. The Steelers need more. Next week’s matchup against Cincinnati might be just what they need. The Bengals have been the league’s worst defense this season, and if Pittsburgh can’t move the ball against them, that will say plenty about where this offense really is.