Steelers Now
Four teams in the NFL have a fourth-down conversion rate above 70%. All four of those teams are in the Conference Championships.
The Washington Commanders lead the NFL with a remarkable 87.0% conversion rate on fourth down, followed by the Buffalo Bills (72.7%), Kansas City Chiefs (70.6%) and Philadelphia Eagles (70.4%).
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers ranked 31st in the NFL in fourth-down conversation rate (38.9%) this season. Only the Dallas Cowboys were worse (35.7%).
Four teams in the NFL have a 4th-down conversion rate above 70%:
• Commanders
• Bills
• Chiefs
• EaglesIt's not a coincidence they are the last teams left… pic.twitter.com/jE3INcMAlz
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 21, 2025
Fourth-down woes were an issue for the Steelers all season, especially during the five-game losing streak to end the season.
With the Steelers trailing 24-17 with 15 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and possessing the ball at Baltimore’s 46-yard line in Week 16, head coach Mike Tomlin decided to go for it.
The Steelers got a good look, as Calvin Austin III was open downfield but Ravens All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton came in at the last second to break up the pass.
Then two plays later, Marlon Humphrey pretty much put the nail in the coffin with a 37-yard pick-six.
“I thought it was a little bit out of balance probably prior to that,” Tomlin said when asked if the early fourth-quarter sequence changed the outcome of the game. “As I mentioned, we never controlled the run game. When you’re not controlling the run game, you’re not going to have a sense of comfort in terms of the flow of it, and that was the case.”
RELATED: Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Defends Aggressive Fourth-Down Decision
In the Steelers’ Week 18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Tomlin elected to go for it on a fourth-and-1 in his own territory late in the first half, a decision that backfired when Jaylen Warren was stopped short of the line to gain, and the Bengals went into the half with a 13-7 lead.
The Steelers defense mitigated the damage, but Cincinnati was able to double their lead going into the half thanks to a 27-yard Cade York field goal on the back of the Pittsburgh offense’s fourth-down failure.
The Steelers looked like they had the first down on their second-down play, when Pat Freiermuth caught a ball in the flat and stumbled toward the sideline. He was initially marked for a first down, but on replay, was ruled a yard short.
RELATED: Steelers Aggressiveness on 4th Down Backfires after Review
Despite being low on time with under one minute left in the half, the Steelers lined up and ran a quarterback sneak with Russell Wilson. Once again, he was marked by the on-field officials as having gained a first down, before replay overturned that decision.
Facing 4th and 1 at their own 37-yard line and 49 seconds left in the half,...
