Holy mother of god, the Steelers have now sunk to a whole different level.

In what is shaping up to be one of the most disappointing runs in the 2009 NFL football season, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost their fifth straight game to drop to 6-7 and possibly out of the playoff race.

Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers, a year removed from winning Super Bowl XLIII, have now lost FIVE straight games. However, what’s even more unsettling is the fact that the champions lost to a team that shouldn’t have any business beating them in the first place and in case you missed the headline, yes, the Steelers lost to the freaking Cleveland Browns.

You read it, the Cleveland Browns, a team ten games below .500, kicked the defending champions’ butts Thursday night to put an end to the Steelers’ hopes of defending their title in the playoffs. The last time something like this happened to the champions was almost four years ago when the Super Bowl XL champions had a sub par campaign the following season.

Guess what, that team was the Pittsburgh Steelers too.

Of course, all is not lost for Ben Roethlisberger and the rest of the Steelers, yet. They are 6-7 and still have a shot at a wild card playoff spot. However, they need other wild card hopefuls to start losing games the way they’ve been losing too.

Five weeks ago, the Steelers were 6-2 and looking at a return to the Super Bowl. Unexpected losses to the Kansas City Chiefs (that was bad…), the Oakland Raiders (that was worse…) and the Cleveland Browns (now that’s just pushing it…) pushed this team over the edge and on the brink of not even making the playoffs.

It’s humiliating and the Steelers know it.

”To lose five straight coming off a Super Bowl from last year is embarrassing,” Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said. ”There’s nothing fun about losing games, especially five in a row. We’re better than that. We should play better than that.”

”With three games left, you’re going to see who really wants to go out here and play for the pride of this organization and this city and who doesn’t want to be around here.”

Which team will win Super Bowl XLIV? SPORTSBETTING.com has the odds.

Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1

Arizona Cardinals 25-1

New England Patriots 4-1

Dallas Cowboys 12-1

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