After getting the job done during the first three weeks of the season, Pittsburgh was riding high with a 3-0 record. However, things have gotten a bit more tense in Pittsburgh since. Two frustrating losses in as many weeks have left the Steelers at 3-2. Pittsburgh remains in decent shape, though, tied with the Baltimore Ravens for first in the AFC North.
However, it looks like the Steelers still have some work to do. Despite their first-place rank, some analysts still don’t expect them to make it to the postseason this year. One of those analysts is NFL.com’s Kevin Patra. In an article published on Wednesday, Patra discussed numerous 3-2 teams, deciding which ones would make the playoffs and which teams would fail to do so. As for Pittsburgh, Patra isn’t a strong believer.
“The Steelers are the inverse of Seattle: a rockin’ defense with a flimsy offense,” Patra said. “The real issue for Mike Tomlin’s team is an offense that, at its best, has been a helter-skelter operation and, at its worst, an impotent sloth. Pittsburgh’s 18.4 points per game in 2024 is the lowest among the 15 teams above .500 through five weeks.”
Patra does give some credit to the Steelers’ defense, which has been dominant. Pittsburgh’s allowed just 73 points in 2024, tied for the second-lowest total in the league. They’ve been solid against both the pass and the run, but injuries have started to hurt the unit a little bit, and that’s something Patra took notice of.
“Allowing the Cowboys to mow their way down the field with Rico Dowdle and Jalen Tolbert this past Sunday night wasn’t a Steel Curtain showing,” Patra said.
Where Patra really hammers Pittsburgh is in terms of their offensive production. Winning with strong defensive play and an offense that’s just good enough has helped head coach Mike Tomlin keep the team competitive in recent years. However, it might not be enough for the team to truly be contenders this time around.
Patra makes the point that Pittsburgh’s offense has both a low ceiling and a low floor. It’s hard to argue with that. The Steelers have scored 92 points this season. That’s just the 24th-most in the NFL. The Denver Broncos, who have scored 96, are the only other three-win team in the league with less than 100 points scored.
Pittsburgh’s offense can be analyzed through a couple lenses. One can have the opinion that the Steelers have done a solid job. With limited turnovers and decent play despite a ton of injuries to the offensive line, that opinion could be true.
However, there’s also the perspective that their offense just isn’t good enough. Najee Harris hasn’t run the ball as well as he has in the past. There isn’t a lot of talent at the receiver position. With a questionable performance from George Pickens this week, that position looks a bit rougher.
It’s up to the Steelers to change the tide here. We know they have the talent on defense to stay in the playoff race. However, as Patra alludes to, their offense will have to be better to turn those playoff hopes into a certainty.
