Despite one of the worst offensive seasons in franchise history, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in first place in the AFC North. A battled-out game in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens saw Pittsburgh come out on top 17-10. While the record looks good heading into the bye week, it's fair to say the Steelers have their work cut out for them if they want to march into the playoffs for the first time in two years. Let's take a look at how the Steelers got here and what they'll look to improve on as the season continues.
Steelers' shaky offense
The 3-2 record is a good start through five weeks for Pittsburgh, but Matt Canada's offense has not performed remotely close to preseason expectations. Kenny Pickett's second year under center for the Steelers has been absolutely disastrous. Pickett is dead last in QBR in the AFC at 28.2. He has thrown for an average of 205.4 yards per game and has tossed just five touchdowns through five games. It's no secret that the offense starts with the quarterback, and Pickett hasn't done much to give the Steelers a chance offensively.
However, the blame can't only fall on one player. The Steelers' offensive line has been a major letdown. Pickett has been sacked 14 times already this season. Najee Harris, who has been a promising running back so far through his career, hasn't had a chance to even get out of the backfield on most plays. However, Harris' underperformance has made room for Jaylen Warren in the backfield. His performance helped lead the way in last week's victory, so there is some hope there.
The passing game hasn't been pretty, but it has also been plagued with injury. Diontae Johnson has been out since Week 1, and tight end Pat Freiermuth went down in Week 4. George Pickens has shown promise, but without other top options available it's been harder for him to get open.
The stats behind this offense certainly are not those of a 3-2 team. The Steelers are 27th in the league in passing yards per game with 187.8. They're 30th in rushing yards per game with just 80.4. Finally, Pittsburgh only averages 15.8 points per game. That's tied for 29th in the NFL. Pittsburgh finds itself bottom-three in the league in arguably the three most important offensive statistics.
Steelers' game-changing defense
The defense, on the other hand, is almost the polar opposite. The strength of this Steelers team is undoubtedly their ability to rush the passer. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are game-changers at the outside linebacker position. If the defense is able to get to the quarterback, chances are the Steelers will have a chance to win the game. In their blowout losses against San Francisco and Houston, the opposing offensive lines held their own.
However, some of the numbers aren't too pretty for the Steelers' defense. They've given up the third-most yards per game so far this season and are in the bottom half of the league in total points allowed with 110. If they can improve upon those numbers, the defense could nearly unstoppable.
What has been the big difference for Pittsburgh this season is the takeaways. The Steelers are tied for second in the league in forced turnovers with 11, trailing only the Buffalo Bills. They've forced the most fumbles in the league with six, and many of these turnovers have turned into points instantly. Watt has found the end zone multiple times this season. If the offense struggles to find the end zone, it 100% can help if the defense gets there instead.
For all the criticism this team has received, coach Mike Tomlin has been able to bounce back after losses and turn some fairly poor performances into victories. The Steelers are 3-2 because of their ability to respond to adversity. They've made some big time plays in key moments more than their opponents have. While the numbers are shaky, the Steelers have shown resilience so far this season and will certainly need to continue that way if they hope to make the playoffs.
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