A win is a win. And for as much trouble as the Pittsburgh Steelers have gone through, being 3-2 and in first place at the bye is hard to get mad at, even if the team’s model doesn’t feel steady or sustainable. But if there’s a negative to come out of Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, it’s the fact the Steelers couldn’t find the end zone on the ground. Again.
Through their first five weeks, the Steelers have zero rushing touchdowns. That’s a franchise first. Since 1933, they’ve never gone the first five games of their season without a rushing touchdown.
Across the NFL, this type of drought is rare, though they’re not alone this season. The Minnesota Vikings have also failed to register a rushing touchdown through five games this season. Since 2019, Pittsburgh and Minnesota are the only two teams to fall into this camp.
Now, it’s just a stat and a quirky one at that. But it matters for two reasons. One, it’s not like the Steelers are scoring at will through the air. They have five passing touchdowns this season, bottom-third in the NFL, with an offense that’s among the worst in the league. Two, and more importantly, Pittsburgh’s identity was supposed to be a unit that could run the ball. A unit that could stay on schedule, work its way downfield, and finish in the red zone.
One key reason for their lack of rushing scores is simply a lack of red zone attempts. Through five games, the Steelers have only seven trips inside the 20, one of which was them (struggling) to kneel the ball down on their last drive against the Ravens. So throw that one out. Of the other six, only two of those possessions got inside the opponent’s five. One ended in a field goal, the other a TE Pat Freiermuth touchdown in the opener.
Pittsburgh’s mantra all offseason was bully ball. Their play was been anything but. The run game has shown slight improvements over the course of the season but not to the level needed. And that’s a big concern. The weight of this offense can’t be placed on QB Kenny Pickett. He’s not at a point in his career, if he’ll ever even get there, to drop back 40 times and win the game. Every step of the team’s roster-building, from signing OG Isaac Seumalo to drafting TE Darnell Washington to even acquiring a big-bodied slot blocker like WR Allen Robinson II was to further the run game. At the bye, the results are the same as a year ago. Worse when you compare it to how they ended 2022 gaining real traction on the ground.
So this stat points to the team’s bigger problem. A unit in need to run the ball barely able to keep their head above water. The Steelers’ inability to sustain drives, to stay on schedule, to avoid the negativity is what is reducing their red zone trips. And they lack the big-play ability in the run game to bust off a scoring run of 20 or more yards. Najee Harris’ longest run is 24 yards, Jaylen Warren’s is 18.
For those interested in the stat and the streak, the 2017 Miami Dolphins went their first eight games without a rushing touchdown. In 1995, the New York Jets went nine games without a ground-game score. In history, Pittsburgh’s record for fewest rushing touchdowns in a season came in 1940, the franchise’s first year officially dubbed as the Steelers (they were the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1933-1939), when it ended with a pair of scores. In more modern history, they ended years with seven rushing scores four times: 1957, 1968, 1982, and most recently in 2019.
In each of his first two years, even with a shaky overall ground game, Harris finished with seven rushing scores. For him to keep that trend going, the Steelers will have to show a much different personality out of their bye. Of course, they did just the same in 2022 so it’s possible the switch flips on for them again.
