Everyone loves an offensive big-play highlight in the NFL (except for the defender or defenders getting roasted for the big play.) A big play can help flip field position, pick up a crucial third down, or put much-needed points on the board.
In 2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers were tied for the sixth-least offensive plays of 20 or more yards. They had 52 such plays, the same as the New Orleans Saints. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had one more than the Steelers while the Baltimore Ravens had one less.
The list is interesting for a number of reasons. The top six teams in terms of 20+ yard plays and seven out of the top 11 (there were three teams tied with 67 plays) made the playoffs. However, two teams made the playoffs with fewer big plays than the Steelers.
So what on earth does that mean? There’s a strong correlation that the more big plays an offense has, the more successful that offense will be. It should be no surprise that teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, the Philadelphia Eagles, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Buffalo Bills are all near the top of the list.
But what about teams like the Ravens and the New York Giants? They both made the playoffs but were worse than the Steelers at generating big plays on offense. Well, both teams were top-10 in the league in terms of touchdowns allowed through the air. Baltimore was tied for fifth in the league with 20 touchdowns allowed while the Giants were tied for ninth with 21 allowed.
In terms of rushing touchdowns allowed, Baltimore was tied for eighth in the league with only allowing 11. The Giants were further down the table in 20th after giving up 16 rushing touchdowns. Yet, it was still enough to help them get into the playoffs.
What it comes down to is this: In order to be successful in today’s NFL, a team either needs to be able to pick up chunks of yards on offense, prevent the other team from finding the endzone, or ideally both. There’s no question that Pittsburgh wants to be an elite defense. However, to truly be successful, the Steelers could really use some big plays from quarterback Kenny Pickett and the running back group of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
