Steelers' Shocking Lack Of Offensive Efficiency Should Get A Massive Boost For Next 2 Weeks

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive gameplan has been very obvious since the offseason: protect the ball at all costs and establish an effective run game. To do so, they hired a run-first offensive coordinator who helped get Derrick Henry have the two best seasons of his career. On top of that, they continued to boost their offensive line by drafting Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier with their first two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Even with Fautanu suffering an unfortunate injury, the acquisition of Frazier has been an instant boom to this unit.

Despite all that, the Steelers' run game has not been very effective. Mike DeFabo of The Athletic broke down the team's average stats when utilizing the ground game. 

"Sure, entering this week’s matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, the Steelers have lived up to their promise of a steady dose of ground-and-pound. They’ve recorded the second-most rushing attempts (108) in the league. Though the intent is clearly there, the efficiency has plenty of room for improvement. The Steelers rank 12th in rushing yards (392) and 28th in yards per carry (3.6). Digging deeper, their average yards before contact (0.94) ranks fourth lowest, their total EPA on rushing plays is second worst (minus-24.37) and their rushing success rate is also second worst (28.3 percent), per TruMedia."

For a team with three capable running backs, as well as a very mobile quarterback, these numbers are unacceptable. Whether it's the fault of the ever-changing offensive line, the running backs themselves, or Arthur Smith, something needs to change. Even though the team is 3-0, they will need to find a way to get it back on track and gain efficiency quickly. Luckily, they have the perfect opportunity to figure everything out. 

As DeFabo also points out, the Steelers' next two opponents have had lots of issues with defending the run game during the 2024 season so far. 

"As the Steelers work to establish their personality and identity on offense, the next two weeks provide prime opportunities to gain traction on the ground. Their opponents have the NFL’s two worst rushing defenses: The Indianapolis Colts have allowed 179 yards per game on the ground, and the Dallas Cowboys are even worse at 185.7 per game. On a per-play average, the Colts are middle of the pack at 15th, allowing 4.4 yards per carry, and the Cowboys are dead last, giving up 5.4 yards per rush."

While the Indianapolis Colts did do a good job of slowing down the Chicago Bears' rushing attack, the fact that they are still second-to-last in yards per game just shows how atrocious their defense has been so far. It doesn't help that DeForest Buckner, their star defensive lineman, will most likely miss their matchup against the Steelers. 

Against the Green Bay Packers, a team that would obviously run the ball a lot in that game with Jordan Love out, the Colts gave up 261 total rushing yards, including 151 to Josh Jacobs. In total, they allowed 4.9 yards per carry (YPC) to a team that didn't want to make their backup quarterback throw a lot. 

At least the Colts had one good game to build momentum from. The Cowboys have had no answers for their opponents' ability to pound the rock. Under Dan Quinn, they had an elite defense that was feared on all aspects. They clearly have not been able to replace him after he left to coach the Washington Commanders, as new Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer has yet to come up with a strategy to stop the run game effectively. 

Their best outing was in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, who still managed to get 93 yards and 4.9 YPC. The fact that that's their most efficient game against the ground attack in 2024 is a damning testament to what they have built up in Arlington. If they don't get their act together quickly, it will be a long game for them when they go to Pittsburgh in Week 5.

Steelers Need To Take Advantage Of Opponents' Weaknesses

Obviously, there are numerous factors to a game, but with the fact that the Colts and Cowboys' one glaring hole matches the Steelers' gameplan, they should be able to end this pair of games with a 5-0 record. They could boost their own numbers, both in terms of total stats and average numbers. Maybe they can find the right strategy to attack other defenses, including those that can defend the run effectively.