Days after stating the importance of having “amnesia” in football, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson struggled again as the Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive.

The Steelers, now 10-7, held the Bengals, 9-8, to just one touchdown all night but failed to inspire on offense as they suffered their fourth-straight loss heading into the playoffs. Wilson was 6-1 to start his Steelers career, but the veteran has uncharacteristically struggled in the red zone in recent weeks and was well below his usual level on Saturday night.

Heading into the final nine minutes of regulation, Wilson had just 56 yards off five completions before finally sparking a touchdown drive that saw him complete six passes. Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth ended that drive with a 19-yard touchdown catch, but a messy end to the game from Wilson saw the Bengals edge the contest 19-17.

In fairness to Wilson and the Steelers, they’ve faced tough opponents in the past four weeks. But suffering straight losses to the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and now the Bengals isn’t the confidence boost they need heading into the playoffs.

Wilson brushed off his recent slide by claiming he has “amnesia” when it comes to football, allowing him to forget about the bad times and focus on playing. However, his comments didn’t age well as his performance against the Bengals was one of his worst this season.

“I think the most important thing is you have got to have amnesia,” Wilson said Wednesday. “This is one of those games that they’ve got good players. We’ve got good players. There’s going to be highs, there’s going to be lows throughout a game, throughout season, throughout all that.

“And just having amnesia, that’s when the great things are happening, to be able to move on and move to the next play. I think that’s going to be key for winning football.”

Wilson ended up going 17-for-31 with 148 yards and one touchdown, although 12 of his completed passes came in the final nine minutes. The Steelers have already clinched a playoff berth but winning on Saturday would have guaranteed the No. 5 seed in the AFC, now they face the possibility of dropping down to No. 6.

The Los Angeles Chargers have the opportunity to move up to the No. 5 seed if they beat the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. The Steelers won’t be the only team focusing on results elsewhere, as the Bengals need both the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins to falter in order to sneak into the playoffs.

Should the Broncos beat a well-rested Chiefs team on Sunday, they’ll clinch the final playoff spot in the AFC. If the Chiefs win, and the Dolphins beat the New York Jets, Miami will advance. Should the Broncos lose, and the Dolphins lose or tie, the Bengals will make it in against all odds.