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USATSI

Winning cures everything, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are in desperate need of a prescription. They've now lost three consecutive games after mounting a league-best 11-0 start to the 2020 season, and their upset at the hands of the Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals on primetime in Week 15 likely has head coach Mike Tomlin fuming. Having to field questions about JuJu Smith-Schuster's pregame ritual is only raising his temperature that much more. 

Smith-Schuster has developed a habit of filming himself dancing on the opponent's midfield logo ahead of games for the social media platform TikTok, and it's become both controversial and dangerous for the young wide receiver. Still, he opted to make Cincy his latest TikTok victim on Monday night. 

After having his fun at the Bengals' expense before kickoff, they had some at his expense when it mattered most. Safety Vonn Bell hit Smith-Schuster with all the power a human body could muster in the first quarter, forcing a fumble the Bengals would recover, then going on to score -- taking a 10-0 lead midway through the first half.

Asked about his receiver's antics, Tomlin had a change of heart of his previously dismissive reply. One week ago following the loss to the Buffalo Bills, Tomlin said Smith-Schuster's dance on the Bills logo "had very little relevance in terms of the way that game was played." This week, it's a much different story.

"I am aware of it and I do plan to talk to JuJu," he told media on Tuesday, seemingly hinting at the end of the ritual. 

Tomlin attempted to refocus the lens on the overall poor performances by the Steelers on the field, and away from Smith-Schuster's dancing, but he's not naïve to how opposition views the actions. 

"We're professionals, [and] I doubt any of those antics and things of that nature are legitimate motivating factors as you step into professional stadiums," Tomlin added. "But it's about respect and so, we'll have a conversation. But I understand that it's about the quality of play inside the white lines. And so, I'm not seeking comfort or looking for excuses based on our recent performances on things that occur in pregame or things of that nature that are social media related."

There are a lot of variables that require repair in Pittsburgh, and Ben Roethlisberger himself has drawn a lot of the ire -- to the point he recently noted he needs to play better or "hang it up." Smith-Schuster himself isn't exactly playing lights out either, vastly overshadowed by rookie Chase Claypool and having not logged a single 100-yard receiving game this season. His production in the three losses have amounted to 28 yards, 55 yards and 18 yards receiving, respectively, with only one touchdown. 

Those aren't exactly numbers that should drive anyone to dance a jig, but Smith-Schuster does enjoy his fun, even if it threatens to escalate at times -- as it did in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys. 

With the Steelers now in danger of losing their grip atop the AFC North to surging Cleveland Browns, Tomlin must figure out how to regroup his troops with the hopes of ending their slide against a dangerous Indianapolis Colts, who own a 10-4 record and are locked in a death grip with the Tennessee Titans for AFC South supremacy. It's paramount for the Steelers that they reverse their fortune in Week 16, because their Week 17 opponent is none other than -- guess who -- the aforementioned Browns.

Once viewed as the most dominant team in the league not named the Kansas City Chiefs, the Steelers haven't won a game since Dec. 2. And while Smith-Schuster's love of TikTok isn't the reason they're losing, it is giving opponents added motivation to make him pay between the lines. 

And it sounds like Tomlin is over it.