One more set of weird for this regular season. A New Year, same losses, and sad weird. Come along.
– The Pittsburgh Steelers failed to score more than 17 points in any of their final four games, all losses. For perspective, Pittsburgh never went four-straight games held to 17 or fewer points in the Matt Canada era. In fact, it’s the Steelers’ first such streak at any point over the course of a single season since 2003 when they were held at or under 17 points from Weeks 3-6.
And Pittsburgh at least won one of those games, its lone victory coming against the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-10. No such luck Saturday night.
– As you probably know, this is the Steelers’ first four-game losing streak to conclude a regular season since 1998.
– WR George Pickens finished the game with six targets, one catch, and zero yards. Since Pro Football Reference/Stathead has tracked targets dating back to 1992, no Steelers receiver had ever had at least six targets for zero yards.
– RB Najee Harris rushed for more than 55 yards just once over his final four games and that came thanks to garbage time against the Kansas City Chiefs, finishing with 74.
– Pittsburgh failed to score an opening-drive touchdown all season. The Steelers still hold the NFL’s second-longest active drought behind the Seattle Seahawks, who have one last shot to break theirs Sunday.
– They end the year scoring just 48 total first-quarter points, 2.8 per game.
– Over their four-game losing streak, the Steelers were outscored 40-3 in the first quarter.
– After being acquired in a trade, WR Mike Williams had exactly one catch per game. Nine games, nine catches, including grabbing his lone target for a sweet 25-yard catch Saturday night.
– Steelers wide receivers combined to catch just five passes against the Bengals. Russell Wilson finished the game with 17 total completions.
– At the end of the third quarter, Pittsburgh had 91 yards of total offense. It finished with 193.
– It’s the second time this season the Steelers finished with under 200 yards of offense, the first two-fer in a year since 2006, Bill Cowher’s final year. Held under 200 in a pair of shutout losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens, the last season Pittsburgh was shut out. The Ravens and Steelers continue to have the NFL’s longest streaks without being shut out.
– Something positive. With his 54-yard boot and lone field goal of the night, K Chris Boswell finishes the season with 41 made field goals. That’s second-most in NFL history, trailing only record-holder David Akers and his 44. A historic season for Boswell.
– Thanks to PR Calvin Austin III’s lost fumble, the Steelers turned the ball over in 10-straight games. That’s their longest single-season streak since 2019 when they did so in all 16, the year Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges started most of Pittsburgh’s games.
– CB Cory Trice Jr. finished the game with 11 tackles, the most of his NFL or college career. Targeted a bunch while facing Ja’Marr Chase.
– NT Keeanu Benton and LB Patrick Queen each picked up their first sack of the season in Saturday’s finale.
– CB Beanie Bishop Jr. picked off his fourth pass of the season. He has the second-most of any rookie UDFA in team history, only trailing the five Hall of Famer Jack Butler intercepted in 1951.
– P Corliss Waitman had a chance but did not finish the year breaking Bobby Joe Green’s single-season yards-per-punt record. Green sat at 47. Waitman will finish about a half yard under.
– Finally, for the second time this season, the Steelers held the ball for 22 minutes or less after possessing it for 20:08 in their Week 15 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s the first time since 1991 Pittsburgh went two games possessing the ball for so little time having it for 20:24 in a loss to the Phoenix Cardinals and 20:05 in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in 1991. It also occurred in 1989, 1990, and three times in 1983.
