2 Week 4 Stats That Explain Steelers Offensive Inconsistency

Oct 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (14) makes a catch against the Cleveland Browns in the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

2 Week 4 Stats That Explain Steelers Offensive Inconsistency

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jobe Morrison | Last updated Oct 6, 2026 2:00 PM ET

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The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their Week 4 battle in Cleveland with an impressive 17-play drive that ended with a touchdown. It felt like the momentum from Week 3 would carry over and the Steelers could finally shake their historical Thursday night woes. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and the Steelers continued to fall victim to their own inconsistency. That ultimately played out on both sides of the ball, but the offense’s performance after that opening drive summarized its issues through the first four weeks of the season.

There’s no doubt the Steelers offense has put itself in position to score more efficiently over the past two weeks. However, the unit remains susceptible to too many three-and-outs and drive-killing tendencies. The drives between their opening score and their next touchdown painted that picture all too well.

139 Yards From Opening Drive to Next Touchdown Scored

After that impressive opening drive, the Steelers turned around on their next possession and committed an untimely turnover. From there, Pittsburgh managed just four points and missed a field goal before finally scoring its next touchdown with 10 minutes left in the game. Those punts included three three-and-outs.

For a unit that was supposed to take a step forward under new head coach Mike McCarthy, the results haven’t been particularly fruitful. If anything, it can be argued that the offense looks more or less the same as it did last year. However, the Steelers’ biggest offensive enemy against Cleveland was their inability to convert on third down.

4-of-13 on Third Down

Oct 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Adin Huntington (98) sacks Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) in the second half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh has not been good on third down this season. On Thursday night, the Steelers went 4-of-13. After converting 38.39% of their third downs in 2025, the unit has taken another step back and sits at 32% this year. That is not the direction this team should be going.

It shows that this team is nowhere near where McCarthy expects it to be. Teams that can’t convert on third down cannot consistently sustain successful drives. It’s another indicator of the inconsistency that continues to plague this offense.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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