AFC NORTH Steelers one loss from a losing year

Pittsburgh could go from first to last in just one season.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are one loss away from their third losing season in five years, a startling and discouraging development for a team that won 25 games the last two seasons.
At least they'll have plenty of time to figure out what went wrong. Rather than play into mid-January, as they did the last two years, the Steelers can shut down this season after their Dec. 28 game at Baltimore.
The Steelers (4-8) also had losing records in 1998 (7-9) and 1999 (6-10), but didn't fall apart during those seasons until December. They also were in contention late in the 2000 season, when they went 9-7 but missed the playoffs.
Disasterous season
These Steelers haven't truly been in contention for weeks. They haven't been above .500 since they were 2-1 and haven't won consecutive games all season.
If it weren't for the long-since-collapsed Oakland Raiders (3-9) -- who, fittingly enough, play Sunday in Pittsburgh -- the Steelers would easily be the AFC's most underachieving team.
"Every time we do good things, we take two steps back," running back Jerome Bettis said.
Or, perhaps more accurately, three steps back. Unless they avoid their worst record in Cowher's 12 seasons as coach -- and they must win two of their final four to do that -- they'll likely go from first to last in the AFC North in one season.
Can't find way to win
"We've normally been a team that finds a way to win late," guard Alan Faneca said. "This year, we're just not getting it done."
Cowher had no idea how accurate he'd be when he told his players the second half of Sunday's game against AFC North co-leader Cincinnati would define their season.
The Steelers were down 14-3, came back to take a 20-17 lead on Tommy Maddox's 16-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward with 1:05 remaining, only to lose on Jon Kitna's 18-yard touchdown pass to Matt Schobel with 13 seconds to go.
After Ward's touchdown, the Bengals barely had a minute to take the kickoff and drive the length of the field to win -- seemingly, a major challenge considering they had been held to a field goal in the second half.
As it turned out, they didn't need nearly that much time to beat the Steelers, who lost only one other division game -- to Baltimore in 2001 -- since the former AFC Central transformed into the AFC North two years ago.
"In some crazy kind of way, it's a reflection of the season we're having," Bettis said. "We're close, but we're that far away."
Meaningless finish
The Steelers' seventh loss in nine games means the final quarter of their season will be all but meaningless, except to the growing number of their players not guaranteed of returning next year.
"A lot of guys are playing for their jobs now,' Ward said.
Now, the Steelers finish against Oakland, the New York Jets (4-7), San Diego (2-10) and Baltimore (7-5) -- a not-difficult closing stretch once seen as a quick route to the playoffs.
Who would have guessed a 34-15 opening game rout of the Ravens would be the Steelers' highlight for the season?
"But we still have to keep fighting," Bettis said. "The minute you quit and give up, you need to stop playing football."