If it feels like the Pittsburgh Steelers routinely capture victory from the jaws of defeat, it’s because they do. By now, you already know the Steelers play and win more one-score games than any other team. New data from analyst Warren Sharp shows one reason why. Since 2000, the Steelers easily have the most wins despite trailing through three quarters. Pittsburgh leads the NFL with 15 such wins.
According to Sharp’s post, the next closest is the Kansas City Chiefs, with ten. Most of the league has no more than six, while the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints only have a pair.
Sharp’s criteria are a little vague, but it appears he’s categorizing these games as trailing after every quarter through the final three—in other words, never gaining the lead until the fourth quarter. Because the stats for simply “trailing after the third” quarter are far different, though Pittsburgh leads there, too, with 42 such wins. In the Mike Tomlin era, they again have the NFL-most with 33 victories.
Update: Sharp clarified he meant to write “since 2020” instead of “2000” in his tweet.
Most Wins After Trailing After Three Quarters (2007-2023)
1. Pittsburgh Steelers: 33
2. Indianapolis Colts: 29
3. Chicago Bears: 27
4. Detroit Lions: 26
5. Buccaneers, Chargers, Broncos: 25
If you’re wondering, the Cleveland Browns are last on that list with just 14 wins.
Using Sharp’s stricter criteria, the Steelers came away with one such 2023 win after trailing in the first, second, and third quarters. That came in the team’s Week 5 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Trailing 7-0 after the first quarter, 10-3 after the second, and 10-3 after the third, Pittsburgh rallied for 14 fourth-quarter points to win 17-10. The Steelers began with a Miles Killebrew punt block for a safety, a short Chris Boswell field goal, a long heave from Kenny Pickett to George Pickens, and one more Boswell field goal in the final seconds.
It’s part of the Steelers’ mantra: Start slow, climb back late, and make the final play of the game to win. Pittsburgh isn’t a team to win in blowout fashion, especially considering how poor its offense has been the last three seasons. And it’s been a notoriously bad team on opening possessions and, in the first quarter, digging an early hole to climb out of.
But the Steelers are a team capable of turning it on when they’re backed into a corner—when they have to make a play late to take or preserve a lead. They’ve consistently done this throughout the Tomlin era. Frustrating as it may be, it’s a trend that figures to continue into 2024 and beyond.
