Cheat Sheet: A look at the Steelers' 2023 offense

OFFENSE

• The Steelers averaged 5.0 yards per play. That was tied with Washington, Chicago and Denver. Seven offenses averaged fewer yards per snap.
• When breaking it down by who was on the field for each 2023 snap, the Steelers offense was younger than all but two teams (Green Bay and Indianapolis) with an average age of 26.2 years.
• Pittsburgh passed the football on 52.7% of its snaps. That was the 28^th-lowest rate in the league. No team threw the ball a lower percentage (47.7%) on the road than the Steelers. In first half of games, Pittsburgh ran the ball 43.4% of the time, the third-highest rate in the league. In the second half of games, they ran it 46.5%, the seventh highest rate. Only the Eagles ran the ball at a higher rate than Pittsburgh inside the 10-yard line, as well as inside the 20. When leading by seven or more points, only the Cardinals and Falcons ran the ball at a higher rate than Pittsburgh. When trailing by seven or more, only the Falcons ran the ball at a higher clip. With 10+-plus yards to go in the down, the Steelers ran the ball at the NFL's highest rate. They were second behind Miami in run percentage on first downs.
• In terms of seconds between plays run, only five offenses played a slower rate than the Steelers. When trailing on the scoreboard, only three offenses played slower. Only the Bengals played at a slower rate than Pittsburgh when possessing a 7-plus point lead, but the Steelers also were the fourth-slowest team when trailing by seven or more points.
• The Texans were the only team with fewer turnovers than Pittsburgh (16) and the Steelers' plus-11 turnover differential was better than every team except the Ravens and Giants. Over the past two seasons, the Steelers are 17-4 in games in which they did not throw an interception. In 2023, that record was 9-2.
• The Steelers were 27^th in first half scoring, averaging 8.8 points scored in the first half of games. In terms of EPA, Pittsburgh's offense was 26^th in EPA in the first half and 16^th in the second.
• Only early downs, Pittsburgh's offense was 19^th in EPA. On third and fourth downs, the Steelers were 27^th.
• The Steelers converted a set of downs into a new set of downs at a rate of 67%. League average was 70%.
• Pittsburgh's average time of possession was 29:38 for the season, but 33:32 over the last four regular season games. However, the Steelers were fifth-best on the road at 31:19. In terms of plays run per game, the Steelers were 26^th (60.5 per game).
• Breaking it down on a per drive basis, the Steelers finished the regular season 26^th in yards per drive, 28^th in points per drive, 28^th in touchdowns per drive and 29^th in three-and-outs per drive.
• Pittsburgh averaged 201.2 passing yards per game. Only the Panthers, Giants, Jets and Patriots were lower.
• Only seven offenses had a shorter average depth of target than the Steelers.
• 53.1% of all the Steelers passing yards came after the catch. Just five offenses got a higher percentage of their passing yards after the catch.
• Only 10 offenses began their drives with worse average starting field position than that of Pittsburgh.
• The Steelers used play-action on 15.1 percent of their drop backs. Only one offense used play-action less.
• Mason Rudolph averaged 9.7 yards per pass attempt this regular season compared to 6.4 for Kenny Pickett and 5.9 from Mitch Trubisky. Rudolph averaged just 5.5 per attempt in the Wild Card round in Buffalo.
• 4.7% of Trubisky's passes were intercepted. Pickett had 1.2% of his passes intercepted. Rudolph didn't throw an interception during the regular season.
• The Steelers pass catchers collectively averaged 5.2 yards before catch per reception. Eight offenses were lower.
• George Pickens and Diontae Johnson accounted for 1,857 (54%) of the Steelers' 3,421 receiving yards and 10 of the Steelers' 13 receiving touchdowns. Pickens had four games with 125-plus receiving yards this season, but nine with under 50 receiving yards. Pickens' 1,140 receiving yards were the 16^th-most in the league. Johnson finished the regular season with a touchdown catch in four of his final six games. 2023 was Johnson's fifth-straight season with 50 or more receptions.
• In terms of yards per route run, Pickens finished at 2.25, Johnson at 2.04, Calvin Austin at .84 and Allen Robinson at .77. Pickens had an average depth of target of 13.5, Johnson at 12.6, Austin was at 11.9 and Robinson at 7.7. As for yards per target, Pickens was at 10.86 compared to 8.24 for Johnson, 6.21 for Austin and 5.83 for Robinson. Pickens averaged 6.57 yards after the catch per reception compared to 5.08 for Johnson, 4.41 for Austin and 2.15 for Robinson.
• Fifty-seven wide receivers were targeted at least 75 times this season, including Pickens and Johnson. Pickens was 11^th in average depth of target and Johnson was 18^th. Johnson was 25^th in targets per route run and Pickens was 44^th. Pickens was 18^th in yards per route run and Johnson was 28^th. Pickens was third in yards per target, behind only Brandon Aiyuk and Nico Collins, while Johnson was 31^st. In yards after the catch per reception, Pickens was fifth and Johnson was 21^st.
• Pat Freiermuth appeared in 11 regular season games and the playoff matchup in Buffalo. In 10 of those games, he had 44 receiving yards or less. But in the other two, Freiermuth combined for 196 receiving yards. Nineteen of Freiermuth's 55 total targets came in those two games.
• Freiermuth has an average depth of target of 6.5 compared to 5.1 for Connor Heyward and 1.4 for Darnell Washington. As for yards per target, Freiermuth finished at 6.84, Washington at 6.1 and Heyward at 4.91. In yards after the catch per reception, Washington came in at 7.43, Freiermuth at 4.66 and Heyward at 4.48.
• Freiermuth was targeted 47 times during the regular season. Of the 28 tight ends with at least that many targets, Freiermuth's average depth of target was 17^th highest, his targets per route run and yards per route run were 25^th, his yards per reception was 23^rd and his yards after the catch per reception was 15^th.
• Johnson led the Steelers with seven end zone targets compared to five for Pickens and Freiermuth.
• Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren combined to catch 90 passes for 540 receiving yards. Warren received 28% targets per route run, which was third-highest of all NFL running backs with at least 250 snaps. Of all running backs with at least 50 targets, Warren's team target share was the fifth-highest in the league and his targets per route run was fourth. His yards per route run was fifth.
• The Steelers allowed 2.1 sacks per game. Only seven offenses were better.
• Pittsburgh created 41 pass plays of 20-plus yards. That was better than only five offenses. However, the Steelers had 14 run plays of 20-plus yards, which was fifth-best in the league.
• The Steelers faced man coverage on 19.8% of their passing plays. Only five offenses saw man coverage at a lower percentage.
• From Week 9 until the end of the regular season, the Steelers averaged 145.2 (5^th most) rushing yards per game and 13 rushing touchdowns (2^nd).
• Harris and Warren combined for 404 carries for 1,819 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. No other Steelers ball carrier, including quarterbacks, had more than 57 rushing yards. The Lions were the only other team with two running backs with 1,000-plus scrimmage yards.
• Harris has started his career with three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons, the only Steelers ball carrier in history to accomplish that. He also is the only running back to have a three-year current streak of 1,000 seasons. Joe Mixon and Harris are the only two running backs in league with 1,200-plus scrimmage yards in each of the last three years. Harris' explosive run rate was 10^th-best in the NFL. In the Steelers' wins, Harris averaged 4.3 yards per carry with eight rushing touchdowns, compared to averaging 3.5 yards per carry and no rushing touchdowns in their losses. Pittsburgh was 7-0 when Harris scored a touchdown.
• Among running backs with 100-plus carries, Warren's 5.3 yards per rush attempt was behind only Devon Achane and Christian McCaffrey. His explosive run rate ranked third, and Warren's rushing yards after first contact per attempt was second.
• Of the Steelers rushing attempts, 5.7% produced gains of 15-plus yards. Only three offenses were better. Only seven offenses generated more yards per carry after first contact than the Steelers.
• Pittsburgh's offense was on the field for 1,135 snaps this season including the playoff game. Twenty players played 131 snaps or more; 18 players played 202 snaps or more; 16 players played over 400 snaps. Mason Cole didn't miss a snap all season. The other Steelers offensive players with over 1,000 snaps played were Isaac Seumalo (1,104), Dan Moore (1,017) and James Daniels (1,010). Pickens just missed, logging 987 snaps, by far the most of any skill position player.
• Pickett played 668 snaps, compared to 265 by Rudolph and 202 for Trubisky.
• The Steelers committed 13 offensive holding and 12 false start penalties. League average per team was 17.8 and 19.6, respectively.
• Per EPA, only the Bengals and Colts faced a tougher slate of opposing defenses than Pittsburgh during the 2023 season.

*All stats are regular season only unless specified