OVERVIEW
- Amid a three-game losing streak, the Steelers now sit at 10-6 with a playoff berth clinched. But they are now behind Baltimore in the AFC North standings. They have five wins at home and five wins on the road with a remaining home contest against the Bengals, a game Pittsburgh will have 11 days of rest before playing. Pittsburgh is 3-2 in the division. The Steelers have outscored their opponents by 35 points this season, but over this three-game losing streak Pittsburgh has been outscored by 50 points.
- This is just the second time in the past 35 years that Pittsburgh has a minus-50 or worse point differential in a three-game stretch.
- The Steelers have three consecutive losses by 14 or more points for the first time since Weeks 5 through 7 of 1988. The current record of those three teams the Steelers lost to is 38-9.
- Pittsburgh is plus-15 in turnover differential with 31 takeaways vs. 16 giveaways. The Steelers have produced 10 more interceptions than they have thrown.
- The Steelers currently have an average time of possession of 31:20 for the season, but 26:21 over their past three games. They are at 31:30 at home and 31:13 on the road.
- Pittsburgh produces 5.1 yards per play and allows 5.4.
- The Steelers have allowed one more touchdown and one more first down this season than they have produced. Their opponents have two more passing touchdowns, but one fewer rushing touchdown. The Steelers produce and allow 4.1 yards per rush attempt. They also produce 4.1 yards more per game than they allow.
- Pittsburgh has benefited from 14 more first downs via penalties than it has surrendered. The Steelers have 13.4 fewer penalty yards per game than they commit and 20 fewer penalties overall. Pittsburgh has 482 more rushing yards than it has given up.
- The Steelers are converting in the red zone at a 46.3% clip. Pittsburgh's defense is at 56.1%.
- The Steelers are converting on third downs at a 39.8% rate. The defense allows a conversion at a 35.1% rate.
- The Steelers' opponents are converting fourth downs at a 71% clip compared to 44% by Pittsburgh. The Steelers' opponents have 485 more passing yards.
- Pittsburgh is 1-2 in games this season in which it didn't force a turnover and 2-3 in games it lost the turnover battle.
- By quarter, the Steelers score 3.0 points in the first, 7.1 in the second, 6.3 in the third, and 6.3 in the fourth. Pittsburgh allows 6.4 in the first quarter, 5.1 in the second, 1.8 in the third and 7.3 in the fourth.
STEELERS OFFENSE
- The Steelers scored a season-low 10 points in their Week 17 loss to Kansas City.
- Despite missing three games, George Pickens still has 332 more receiving yards than any other Pittsburgh pass catcher. When Pickens has over 50 receiving yards this season, Pittsburgh is 8-1. Otherwise, the Steelers are 2-5.
- Pickens has been targeted on 26.1% of his routes, the highest percentage amongst Steelers wide receivers. Calvin Austin is second at 17.5%, followed by Ben Skowronek at 13.5%. As for yards per route run, Pickens is first at 2.4. Skowronek is second at 1.9 and Austin is third at 1.7. Mike Williams has the highest air yards per target at 15.6. Pickens is second at 13.5 and Austin is third at 12.6.
- The Steelers have 20 receiving touchdowns. Half of them by Pat Freiermuth or Austin.
- Freiermuth has 67 targets this season, with 27 of those coming in his past five games.
- In Jaylen Warren's past 10 games, the matchup in Philadelphia was his only game that he didn't produce 59 or more yards from scrimmage.
- As receivers, Warren has run 180 routes, has been targeted 46 times with 38 catches for 310 yards. Najee Harris has run 178 routes, has been targeted 43 times with 32 catches for 263 yards.
- 877 of Najee Harris' 1,007 rushing yards came in the first 13 games of the season. 119 of Warren's 490 rushing yards have come in the Steelers past two games.
- Russell Wilson set a season-high with his 55 rushing yards in Week 17.
- The Steelers top five offensive players in snap counts played this year are all offensive linemen: Dan Moore (1,050), Broderick Jones (1,010), Zach Frazier (914), Mason McCormick (888) and Isaac Seumalo (765). Frazier missed two games. Seumalo has missed four.
STEELERS DEFENSE
- The Steelers allowed 25 or more points in three-straight games for the first time since Weeks 2-4 in 2018.
- The Steelers defense has 36 sacks this year. 25.5 of those have come from TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith, who has missed six games. Pittsburgh is averaging just 1.3 sacks per game over their three most recent contests.
- Of the Steelers' 77 total tackles for loss, 31 have come from Watt and Heyward.
- After allowing the Chiefs to go four for five in the red zone last week, the Steelers red zone defense over their past three games is at 62.5%. For the season, they sit at 56.1%.
- Out of a possible 1,019 defensive snaps, Patrick Queen leads the defense with 1,017 snaps played, followed by Minkah Fitzpatrick at 1,010. Next are Joey Porter (898), Watt (880), Donte Jackson (780), DeShon Elliott (755) and Heyward (731). Porter and Jackson have each missed one game and Elliott has missed two.
STEELERS SPECIAL TEAMS
- As of Dec. 26, the Steelers produce 9.6 points per game by their kicker. Dallas and Washington are tied for second at 9.1.
- Pittsburgh has punted 63 times this year. Opponents have punted 62 times.
- Connor Heyward and Miles Killebrew lead the Steelers with 284 special teams snaps played apiece followed by 282 by Payton Wilson and Mark Robinson. Fifth on that list is James Pierre with 236, despite only appearing in 14 games and Jeremiah Moon at 200 despite only appearing in 12 games. Tyler Matakevich is next with 176 snaps in just 10 games.
