Welcome to your weekly Pittsburgh Steelers “stat pack,” five numbers you need to know to get ready for the team’s upcoming game. They could relate to the opponent, the Steelers themselves, and could involve an individual, unit, or something else. All to help you become the smartest fan for gameday.
42.9
Earlier this week, we talked about the Steelers’ miserable third-down offense. But their red zone efficiency isn’t looking any hotter. They’re 42.9 percent inside the 20, 31st in the league and only ahead of the New York Jets. Pittsburgh isn’t getting a lot of opportunities inside the 20 to begin with, and when they do, they stall out and settle for three. The Indianapolis Colts’ red zone defense ranks league-average, so there’s a chance for Pittsburgh to improve here. But their issues start with themselves, not the opponent.
Two
The number of pass attempts Colts’ starting QB Gardner Minshew has against the Steelers, both coming in last year’s win over Pittsburgh when Minshew was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite him being in the league for years and having 33 starts, the Steelers haven’t had a lot of exposure to him. But he’s held things down after rookie Anthony Richardson was lost for the season, keeping Indy a competitive bunch.
21-6
As tweeted by Colts’ owner Jim Irsay, Indy has a poor record all-time against Pittsburgh. Per Pro Football Reference, the Steelers are 21-6 in history against the Colts (Irsay’s tweet reflects playoffs, too). The Colts have only beaten the Steelers twice since 1985, 2-15 overall. That’s a record that’ll get you a No. 1 draft pick.
So history is on the Steelers’ side. Hopefully, it remains true.
25.9 Percent
That’s the percentage of WR Allen Robinson’s receptions that have resulted in first downs this year, seven of his 27 total grabs. A really low number. In fact, he’s just one of four players this year with at least 25 receptions and no more than seven conversions. The other three are running backs.
It’s not really his fault. He’s a true underneath and possession receiver who has made important grabs over the middle, but the stats paint a highly inefficient season.
6.5
The number of sacks from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ d-line this season. A discouragingly low amount. Granted, Cam Heyward missed half the season, but still, he’s tied for the D-line lead with two sacks. Larry Ogunjobi only has a pair, while rookie Keeanu Benton has one, DeMarvin Leal has one, and Armon Watts picked up a half-sack. They need more production here. It can’t just come from the team’s EDGE rushers. They’re not on pace to resume their 50-sack seasons, and that’s an issue.
