Listening to concerning the Pittsburgh Steelers’ long-standing scoring woes may not be splendid, however hey, at the least this isn’t an Aaron Rodgers article. Maybe the crew’s dogged pursuit of Rodgers could be defined by the frustrations of the final six seasons. This offense has solely sometimes completed common and has been extra more likely to be a bottom-feeder. Final 12 months, they cracked sixteenth, a “good” 12 months that featured the Steelers being held underneath 18 factors for his or her last 4 common season video games (and Wild Card loss).
Spring is about setting targets and creating excessive expectations. For Pittsburgh, that ought to imply making a run at a top-ten scoring offense. In that case, it’ll be one thing the Steelers haven’t achieved in literal years. The final time they reached the highest ten was 2018, the ultimate 12 months of Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown as teammates.
How does that six-year drought stack up? Under is a chart displaying the final season every crew completed within the prime ten in scoring.
| Group | Yr Of Final Prime 10 Offense |
|---|---|
| Bengals | 2024 |
| Ravens | 2024 |
| Payments | 2024 |
| Broncos | 2024 |
| Eagles | 2024 |
| Buccaneers | 2024 |
| Lions | 2024 |
| Commanders | 2024 |
| Packers | 2024 |
| Vikings | 2024 |
| Browns | 2023 |
| Dolphins | 2023 |
| Colts | 2023 |
| Cowboys | 2023 |
| Saints | 2023 |
| 49ers | 2023 |
| Rams | 2023 |
| Jaguars | 2022 |
| Chiefs | 2022 |
| Seahawks | 2022 |
| Patriots | 2021 |
| Chargers | 2021 |
| Titans | 2020 |
| Raiders | 2020 |
| Steelers | 2018 |
| Falcons | 2018 |
| Bears | 2018 |
| Cardinals | 2016 |
| Giants | 2015 |
| Panthers | 2015 |
| Texans | 2012 |
| Jets | 2008 |
Pittsburgh, as you would possibly anticipate, ranks low on the checklist, tied with the Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears. The one groups with an extended streak are firm the Steelers don’t need to be close to. The Arizona Cardinals (2016), New York Giants (2015), Carolina Panthers (2015), Houston Texans (2012), and New York Jets (2008).
The remainder of the AFC North seems close to the highest of the checklist. The Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens have been prime ten in 2024. In actual fact, since 2019, they’ve made the checklist a mixed seven instances (Ravens 4, Bengals three). Even the 2023 Browns reached the No. 10 spot, although they haven’t completed larger since 2007 when Derek Anderson led the assault.
There was a time when Pittsburgh’s rating within the prime ten was a given. They completed there in 5 straight seasons from 2014-2018 and haven’t reached there since. The 2020 season got here closest, ending twelfth general, earlier than the underside fell out. In Ben Roethlisberger’s last season, they ranked twenty first. In 2022, they dropped to twenty sixth, twenty eighth in 2023, and sixteenth underneath Arthur Smith final season.
If Pittsburgh goes a seventh season with out reaching the highest ten, it’ll be their longest streak since a nine-year run from 1986-1994. A feat the franchise doesn’t need to match.
In fact, it’s honest to level out how properly the protection has performed over the identical span. Since 2018, Pittsburgh has ranked within the prime ten 4 instances. However it hasn’t gotten them far sufficient, particularly within the postseason when the protection has crumbled.
Entering into the highest ten received’t be simple, and present projections have this unit ending common, at finest. However for the franchise to interrupt its playoff win drought, a significant increase in offensive output is essential. There are 4 key stats that, if circled, will give Pittsburgh an opportunity.
