The Pittsburgh Steelers have a chance against the New York Giants to move a full game clear of the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North. It’s also a chance for the Steelers to stack their third-straight win before heading into their bye week. But one area where offensive coordinator Arthur Smith would love to see improvement is how the offense executes in the first half.
The Steelers have been a slow-starting team all season long. Out of their 15 offensive touchdowns through seven games, only four have come in the first half. They’re 5-2 and playing good football overall, but getting off to a quicker start would make them an even better team.
“I want to see that 60-minute execution,” said Ray Fittipaldo on Monday’s episode of the North Shore Drive Podcast. “I want to see the run game going in the first half, not just the second half. I want to see those big plays down the field in the first quarter, not just the third and fourth quarter. So to me, that’s the next evolution of the offense that we need to see for the Steelers to really be hitting on all cylinders.”
The run game has certainly been a tale of two halves throughout most of the season. It’s not really a difference in terms of carries, though. The Steelers have attempted 106 carries in the first half of games versus 128 in the second half. And second-half runs have only averaged 0.2 yards per carry more than first-half carries (4.1 to 3.9). But the Steelers have found the end zone six times in the second half on the ground versus only twice in the first half.
In terms of the passing attack, the numbers are even more odd. The Steelers have attempted more passes in the first half of games than in the second half (98 to 92). Steelers quarterbacks are also completing passes at a higher rate in the first half by 7.5 percent (68.4 to 60.9). But each pass attempt in the second half is averaging 0.9 yards per attempt more (7.8 to 6.9). And the Steelers have five second-half passing touchdowns to only two in the first half.
The Steelers are simply a better offense in the second half of games so far this season. What would make the team even better is if they could start executing in the first half. That would allow the Steelers to play more complimentary football. The defense could attack opposing offenses even more in the second half of games if the Steelers started scoring earlier.
In the Steelers’ first loss of the season, 27-24 to the Indianapolis Colts, they fell behind 17-3 in the first half. They outscored the Colts 21-10 in the second half but the hole was just too big for them to come all the way back. The Steelers can’t afford to do that against teams like the Baltimore Ravens, the Philadelphia Eagles or the Kansas City Chiefs later in the season.
Scoring points earlier will certainly help the Steelers navigate the tough remainder of the schedule after their bye week. And they have a golden opportunity to get started against the Giants on Monday night. QB Russell Wilson knows that the offense still has plenty to prove, and it sounds like he’s ready to make that happen.
