In what’s gone from seemingly unsustainable to quirky to now just plain expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to be the NFL’s best team in close games. It’s a topic that I’ve dedicated plenty of time to in recent years, and Pittsburgh’s reputation stayed true in 2023.
Despite a 10-7 season, the Steelers were aces in one-possession games. Which was good because they, like every other year, played a bunch of them. Eleven of their 17 games were decided by 8 points or less. Pittsburgh won nine of those games and were the top team in that category for the season. By winning percentage, here are the top and bottom five teams in one-score games last year.
Top Five One-Score Teams (2023)
1. Pittsburgh Steelers: .818 (9-2)
2. Cleveland Browns: .750 (6-2)
3. Philadelphia Eagles: .727 (8-3)
4. Houston Texans: .700 (7-3)
5. Indianapolis Colts: .667 (6-3)
Bottom Five One-Score Teams (2023)
1. San Francisco 49ers: .250 (1-3)
2. Carolina Panthers: .250 (2-6)
3. Chicago Bears: .250 (2-6)
4. Los Angeles Chargers: .278 (3-8)
5. Arizona Cardinals: .286 (2-5)
There are, of course, a lot of good teams at the top and bad ones at the bottom. But it’s not exclusively split that way. The Colts went 9-8 and failed to make the playoffs, but six of their wins came in one-score games. On the other end, the NFC Champion 49ers tied for the worst record in one-score games, though they only played in four.
To revisit the Mike Tomlin era, the Steelers continue to be far-and-away the No. 1 team in one-possession games.
Top One-Possession Teams (2007-2023)
1. Pittsburgh Steelers: .615 (98-61-2)
2. Indianapolis Colts: .594 (88-60-1)
3. New England Patriots: .580 (69-50)
4. Green Bay Packers: .572 (78-58-2)
5. Miami Dolphins: .562 (77-60)
The Steelers with a clear lead over second place by more than two percentage points. There’s no question Pittsburgh constantly puts fans on the edge of their seats, with every game seemingly coming down to the wire. In the Tomlin era, the Steelers have had a league-high 58.5 percent of their games decided by one possession.
It isn’t always easy or comfortable, but Tomlin has created a culture to win tight games. You’d love to see them win in blowout fashion more often but this is a team, regardless of roster, able to close things out. It’s not a Ben Roethlisberger thing. It’s not a T.J. Watt thing. Tomlin is the constant. And it’s why Pittsburgh always seems to punch above their weight class in the regular season.
