Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most predictable teams in the NFL over the last half-decade. Since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have majored in low-scoring rock fights and winning despite their offense. It appears a corner has been turned, though, and a lot of credit can be given to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who have both made the offense, and this isn’t a joke, one of the most efficient in the league.
Through four weeks, the Steelers rank 11th in EPA per play, per RBSDM stats, and they are 10th in success rate. For reference, they rank above the Ravens and Chargers in success rate. Additionally, the Steelers and Eagles have the exact same DVOA, per FTN Fantasy.
From a pure passing standpoint, Aaron Rodgers is doing a good job. The Steelers rank 13th in EPA per dropback, ahead of the Chargers and Eagles, and the offense is averaging 24 points per game. While that number may not blow anyone out of the water, it would be the highest per-game average the Steelers have had since 2020 (26 points per game).
The Steelers wouldn’t be in this position without DK Metcalf, who currently leads all receivers in yards after the catch with 199. The Steelers may not be pushing the ball downfield as much as everyone expected, but they haven’t needed to live and die by the deep ball. The short and intermediate passing game has worked well, and it’s led to the Steelers winning three of their first four games.
Is the offense perfect? Of course not. While the run game had a breakout performance in Week 4, they need to consistently put together four quarters of quality rushing performances. That said, this is the best the Steelers have looked offensively in a very long time, and there is still plenty of time to get better.
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