Though Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has improved the offense this season, some old habits die hard. One (of many) recurring issues under Matt Canada was the lack of opening drive scoring. Habitual slow starts and a poor opening script that couldn’t put the ball in the end zone like seemingly every other offense in football.
The 2024 Steelers are having the same problem. In 11 games, they don’t have a single first-drive touchdown. A bunch of field goals, sure, but no end-zone celebrations.
The last time Pittsburgh had an opening possession touchdown came nearly one year ago, in Week 16 of the 2023 season against the Cincinnati Bengals. WR George Pickens’ 86-yard house call on the game’s second play. For the past 13 regular season games, the Steelers haven’t been able to replicate it.
They’re one of just seven teams this season without a first-drive touchdown. Their drought is tied for the third-longest. Here’s the bottom of the list.
Longest Active Droughts Without First Drive Touchdown
1. Jaguars – Week 13, 2023
2. Seahawks – Week 14, 2023
3. Steelers – Week 16, 2023
4. Eagles – Week 16, 2023
Not a good look for the Pennsylvania teams.
Why is Pittsburgh having these problems? It’s hard to pinpoint one reason. The silver lining is that under Smith, his units are moving the ball. They’re not going three-and-out. Their six scoring drives, all field goals, are tied for the fifth-best rate in the NFL, although the teams surrounding them do more than send out their kicker. Like Pittsburgh, the Arizona Cardinals have six first-drive scoring drives, but four have ended in touchdowns. The Steelers have only gone three-and-out three times this season, something they did seven times in 2023, five times in 2022, and five times in 2021.
Still, touchdowns are touchdowns. The Steelers aren’t getting enough of those early. In fact, if Arthur Smith and Pittsburgh’s offense can’t punch it in over the next two weeks against the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, he will have matched Matt Canada’s longest drought of touchdown-less first drives. Canada went 13 games from Week 11 in 2021 through Week 5 of 2022 before finally ending it in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As a team, the Faulkner/Sullivan era combined with Smith, Pittsburgh is on track to match Canada’s feat this weekend. That’s a place no coordinator or offense wants to be.
