PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Tomlin thrives living on the margins. The Pittsburgh Steelers coach loves it when things get “thick,” to borrow one of his favorite words.

Things have rarely been murkier during Tomlin's 19-year tenure than they are right now for the Steelers (6-5) .

Pittsburgh's once-comfortable AFC North lead is gone following its fourth loss in six games, this one a 31-28 defeat in Chicago on Sunday that ceded the top spot in the division to Baltimore.

Yes, there are still half a dozen weeks to go. Yes, a pair of meetings with the Ravens loom. And yes, Tomlin anticipates having Aaron Rodgers back on Sunday when Buffalo visits after the NFL's oldest active player and his broken left wrist sat out against the Bears.

Still, the formula that Tomlin and the Steelers have

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