The Pittsburgh Steelers have defied the odds with a 5-3 record through the first half of the 2023 NFL regular season. They have found success on the back of an opportunistic defense that has picked up the slack for an inconsistent offense.
On the season, the Steelers rank 29th in points scored and yardage gained. Their PFF grades aren’t any better as they are 26th in overall grade, 28th in offense and tied for 16th in defense. Their running offense is the highest graded aspect of their offense in 20th, while their passing, receiving, run-blocking and pass-blocking grades are all 24th or worse.
That certainly isn’t a recipe for sustained success, as the Steelers have received some timely production to squeeze out wins. If they want to remain in the playoff race, they need to start producing more consistently on the offensive side of the ball.
They are lucky to be 5-3 at this point, as all the numbers point toward a team having a much worse record. As pointed out by Brooke Pryor of ESPN, the one stat that sticks out for the Steelers in the first half of the 2023 season is their yardage differential.
“The Steelers are the 34th team in NFL history to have been outgained in each of their eight games this season, per Elias Sports Bureau. Of that group, they’re the only team with a winning record in that stretch. The only team of that initial group of 33 teams to finish with a winning record was last year’s Steelers team, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information,” wrote Pryor.
What head coach Mike Tomlin has accomplished this season would make Houdini blush. The magic trick he has pulled off is truly unexplainable, as their expected win-loss record is flipped to 3-5.
The Steelers are not afraid of playing from behind, as they have seven wins since 2022 when trailing through three quarters. Kenny Pickett has ice water in his veins late in games, but the team would certainly prefer to be playing from ahead more often.
Finding an identity on the offensive side of the ball would go a long way in accomplishing that. There is a lot of talent at the skill positions, but getting the ball into their hands has been a struggle. Figuring out the offensive line, which has looked better with rookie Broderick Jones, would be a good place to start.
This defense is certainly good enough to keep the Steelers in games, and sometimes win them on their own; in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns, the offense had negative yardage in the fourth quarter and still came from behind to win. To compete with the upper-echelon teams in the AFC, the offense needs to produce and take pressure off the defense.
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