Bengals watch as Steelers, Mike Tomlin enter their Marvin Lewis era

Story byChris Roling, Bengals WireTue, January 13, 2026 at 2:48 PM UTC·1 min readCincinnati Bengals fans didn’t get to watch their team in the NFL playoffs this year, but they did get to hate-watch the Pittsburgh Steelers. While doing so, Bengals fans got to watch the Steelers turn into the Marvin Lewis-led Bengals, too. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs was widely, widely publicized going into Monday night’s playoff game between the Steelers and Houston Texans, Tomlin was at risk of matching some inept Lewis history from his days with the Bengals. The Steelers’ 30-6 loss to the Texans secured the dubious honor:RELATED: Duke Tobin's anticipated Bengals address underwhelmsLongtime Bengals fans know the success of the Steelers has been a tad overrated nationally. Tomlin never lets Pittsburgh slip under .500, but they also haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. Tomlin’s Steelers have now gone 10-7 with double-digit playoff losses in three straight seasons. The franchise could be losing Aaron Rodgers and Tomlin himself isn’t guaranteed to be back, either. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFor the Bengals, making the playoffs would’ve been nice.