Patriots in the AFC Title Game. 2018: "Days of our Steelers" The "Killer B's" era hit a snag beginning in the offseason when conflict arose concerning Bell and Brown. Bell, disappointed that he was franchise tagged again, refused to sign this time around and held out for what was initially supposed to be the first part of the season, but later missed out on the whole year, later signing with the New York Jets the following March. To replace him, the Steelers played second-year halfback James Conner, who filled in admirably. Brown, despite reaching career highs in both receiving yards and touchdowns, was the subject of numerous controversies both in his personal life and on the field and frequently ran into conflict with the Steelers' media and coaching staff. Brown eventually broke down prior to the week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, was benched for that game and deserted the team afterward. Even Ben Roethlisberger was criticized due to his reaction to the Steelers drafting quarterback Mason Rudolph and openly criticizing teammates on his radio show during the season. This conflict, coupled with questionable coaching decisions during the season, led to the Steelers getting widely mocked in the media, with some comparing the team to a soap opera. Despite a 7–2–1 start, the Steelers lost four of their last six games, all by less than a touchdown, and were eliminated from the postseason after the Baltimore Ravens won their week 17 game to clinch the AFC North title. Brown was later traded to the Oakland Raiders following the season, citing his inability to work with the Steelers. With the departures of both Bell and Brown, the "Killer B's" era unofficially came to an end, with some analysts noting that despite their success in the regular season, they were hampered in the postseason due to injury and bad luck. 2019: Roethlisberger goes down After revamping the roster to replace Bell and Brown, the Steelers suffered a 33–3 loss to the rival New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football in week 1 of the 2019 season. The following week, Ben Roethlisberger suffered a torn UCL in a 28–26 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, which would require Tommy John surgery, ending his season. He was replaced by Mason Rudolph thereafter. In Mason Rudolph's first start, the Steelers lost to the San Francisco 49ers despite causing 5 turnovers during the game. The next