We visited this topic last season and it’s one worth checking out every year. Though the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers felt like a different team, one with a new general manager, quarterback, and notable starters, they were the same old heart attack Steelers.
You know what I’m talking about. Watch any other football game on Sunday and you’ll see a game that doesn’t come down to the wire. No one is sweating bullets the last five minutes of the game. There is no big comeback from the home team or implosion that allows the opponent to get right back into the action.
And then there are the Pittsburgh Steelers.
No team makes you sweat like the black and gold. And if it felt like 2022 continued the trend of “every game is a close game, please consult your doctor before turning on the TV,” you would – yet again – be correct.
I’ve gone back and looked at the number of one-possession games each team played in 2022. Games that were decided by eight points, a one-score outcome. And the Steelers are right up there at the top. Here’s a chart of the top six:
| Team | One-Possession Games |
|---|---|
| Las Vegas Raiders | 13 |
| New York Giants | 13 |
| Denver Broncos | 13 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 13 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 12 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 12 |
No, the Steelers didn’t finish at the top, but they were one game away from tying for first-place. It should be pointed out the Week 3 game against the Cleveland Browns would’ve been a one-score game had it not been for the Browns scoring on the final play of the game, a fumbled Steelers lateral that the Browns scooped and scored, but that’s technically cheating so I can’t include it here.
As we’ve pointed out in the past, Pittsburgh has been remarkably good in these close games, boasting one of the league’s top records. They weren’t quite as strong in 2020 and 2021 but still went 7-5 in 2022 in these one-possession games. That included going 5-2 after the bye week as part of their second-half turnaround.
If you’re wondering about the teams fans can watch without needing an EKG hookup, the San Francisco 49ers played only four one-score games all season. The Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams each played seven.
Using more historical data, since Mike Tomlin became head coach in 2007, the Steelers lead the NFL in one-possession games with 150. Over that span, they have the second-best winning percentage (60%), second in the NFL only behind the New England Patriots (who have only played in 107 close games, the NFL’s fewest).
Bottom line. The Steelers find a way to come out on top in the final minutes. They just shave years off your life to do it.
