Sometimes the reasons aren’t complicated. Sometimes they’re staring you right in the face. Despite all the problems the Pittsburgh Steelers have faced, a struggling offense, an injury-ravaged defense, they’re 7-4. Second place in the division, the top AFC Wild-Card team if the season ended today, and they’re likely to end the year with double-digit victories. Something will have gone horribly awry if they don’t. They’re in position to win 11 games for only the second time since 2018.
Their secret? It’s fundamental.
1. They take the ball away at a high rate.
2. They don’t turn the ball over.
Ta-dah! There’s your answer.
That’s what football is about. Taking the football from your opponent. It keeps the score down, gives your offense shorter fields, creates momentum shifts for your side. Protect the football. It keeps you in games, doesn’t give the opponent short fields, and allows you to maximize your scoring chances. You really have to mess up to lose games if you’re dominating in those two categories. The margin for winning and losing is razor thin and often dictated by the turnover battle.
The Steelers are doing both better than any other team in football. When it comes to takeaways, they have 20 of them, tied for the fourth-best mark in football. To put that in additional perspective, the Steelers’ defense had just 23 takeaways all of last year. In 2023, they’re on pace to finish with about 31, which would be their third-best showing since 2006.
The Steelers are also doing it in moments that directly take points off the board. They have a league-high seven takeaways when the opponent is in the red zone, inside their 20, including one in Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Trailing 7-3, safety Trenton Thompson picked off QB Jake Browning, spoiling a drive that would’ve ended in at least a field goal. Pittsburgh’s offense took over, marched downfield, and Najee Harris put the ball in the end zone to give the Steelers a lead they wouldn’t give back. Thompson’s pick was the key moment of the game.
Offensively, the Steelers have had many, many issues. But protecting the football? That they can do. Perhaps it explains some of their problems, a hyper-conservative nature that borders on playing scared, but they win when they don’t give the ball away. On the season, they have just nine giveaways, tied with the Bengals for the best mark. The Steelers have been even better since their bye. Over their last six games, Pittsburgh has given the ball away just three times. QB Kenny Pickett has played smart and, something that has been underrated, the running backs have really taken good care of the football (notwithstanding Jaylen Warren’s fumble last weekend).
Over that span, Week 7 through Week 12, the Steelers’ three offensive turnovers are also tied for the best mark in football with the Denver Broncos, who have revived their season after a miserable 1-4 start. The four teams that have the fewest turnovers over that span (Steelers, Broncos, Bengals, and Cowboys) have a combined record of 15-6. The six teams with the most turnovers over that span? A combined 15-19 and frankly, that number seems better than you’d expect.
Pittsburgh is best at the nuts and bolts of football. Blocking, tackling, taking care of the football, taking the football away. It overcomes a lot of other issues. Lack of a consistent passing game. Big plays allowed by the secondary. Situational problems on third down and in the red zone. If the Steelers keep this up, they’ll be in the playoffs. Then the question becomes if these fundamentals are enough to win a playoff game.
