"He's single-handedly set the franchise back 10 years": Steelers fans call for Mike Tomlin's firing after crushing loss to Joe Flacco-led Bengals

Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers' three-game winning streak came to an end on Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite their best efforts, they suffered a 33-31 loss by a team led by veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.

Fans were not happy with the Steelers' performance against the Bengals, who are without Joe Burrow as he continues to recover from his toe injury. They demanded the firing of Mike Tomlin on social media while questioning his ability to coach the team.

Jarrett

@Jwildman564

FIRE MIKE TOMLIN!!!!!!! HAS SINGLE HANDILY SET THE FRANCHISE BACK 10 YEARS!!!!!!! #Steelers

Plain & Simple (Matty)

@PandSsteelers

I AM SORRY YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS AARON RODGERS. I AM SO SORRY. MIKE TOMLIN IS AN INCOMPETENT HEAD COACH. TERRYL AUSTIN IS THE WORST COORDINATOR IN NFL HISTORY. FUCK. THEM. BOTH.

Casey Erlewein

@CaseyErlewein

If there’s ever a game Mike Tomlin should be more under fire than ever, it’s this one. Embarrassing loss for the Steelers, especially considering their history under Tomlin in this type of matchup.

£zequiel 😘

@ECrespoWeUp

@BaddestBearJew Mike Tomlin should be fired before he gets back to that locker room.

Thomas Hawk

@TommysHawk

@Alex_Kozora This is a fireable type game. I’ve never been on the fire Tomlin train, this game is inexcusable

Zach

@ZPSteelers2

Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the Mike Tomlin signature special.

The Steelers took an early lead in the game thanks to Aaron Rodgers' 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith in the first quarter. However, the Bengals found their offensive momentum in the second quarter and went on a scoring spree.

Joe Flacco found two passing touchdowns while Evan McPherson scored a 49-yard field goal to give his team a 17-10 lead heading into halftime. In the third quarter, McPherson scored another field goal to extend the Bengals' lead against the Steelers.

However, Aaron Rodgers then found TE Pat Freiermuth with a 19-yard TD pass while Boswell scored the extra point. This helped Mike Tomlin's team minimize the deficit to three points.

The fourth quarter saw back-and-forth action from both teams, with Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco finding the endzone with touchdown passes.

With just over two minutes left, Rodgers found Freiermuth with a 68-yard TD pass to level the playing field. Chris Boswell's extra point gave them a single-digit lead. Unfortunately, Evan McPherson scored a 36-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game to help the Bengals take home the win.

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Mike Tomlin shares his thoughts on the disappointing loss against the Bengals

In the post-game press conference, the Steelers coach expressed his disappointment with the outcome of the game.

Mike Tomlin praised the Bengals for their performance on Thursday night. He also stated that they need to improve themselves to continue winning games this season.

"You know, a tough, hard fought game," Tomlin said. "But certainly got to give credit to those guys, the Bengals. They did what was required to win. They made a few more plays than we did.

"I certainly appreciate the fight. But man, we got to be cleaner, we got to be better and we weren't tonight. That's life in this business. We certainly got to learn from it man and keep pushing.

The Steelers are next scheduled to face the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 26 at 8:20 pm ET.