The Steelers survived to defeat the Lions in a true nail biter on Sunday afternoon, a 29–24 win that came down to an offensive pass interference call as time expired. And not only was the victory a much-needed boon to Pittsburgh's playoff chances, but it also represented a huge milestone for both head coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers organization itself.
On Tomlin's front, the dub meant that the coach has successfully clinched his 19th consecutive non-losing season, tying former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for the second-most consecutive non-losing seasons of all-time. Both coaches, meanwhile, sit behind Cowboys coach Tom Landry, who enjoyed a streak of 20 non-losing seasons from 1965 to ’85, per CBS Sports.
Meanwhile, on an organizational level, the Steelers as a franchise have now officially clinched 22 consecutive non-losing seasons, the most in NFL history. Prior to Sunday's win, Pittsburgh was tied with Dallas at 21; the Cowboys' streak ran through Landry's tenure at the helm, according to CBS Sports.
With Detroit in the rearview (and perhaps some streak-related pressure off their backs), the Steelers will now be free to focus their efforts on clinching the AFC North as the regular season winds to a close. Next up, they'll travel to face the Browns before finishing out the campaign with a tilt against the Ravens at Acrisure.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
- Here’s How the NFL Should Have Handled the DK Metcalf–Lions Fan Incident
- It’s Become Clear the Buccaneers Need to Make Real Changes
- Studs and Duds NFL Week 16: Joe Burrow and Chase Brown Explode in Miami
- Amon-Ra St. Brown Penalty Negates Lions' Bonkers Game-Winning Touchdown vs. Steelers
- Who is Chris Oladokun? A Look at the Chiefs' New Quarterback Amid Flurry of Injuries
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steelers, Mike Tomlin Reach Impressive NFL Milestone With Last-Second Win vs. Lions.