These Steelers feel different than recent seasons — a genuine threat to win the AFC

This year feels different for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sure, they’re a little rough around the edges, as usual, but they’re a bit sturdier than last year’s team as the NFL enters the final stretch of the regular season before the playoffs begin.

Russell Wilson, while still a bit inconsistent, has been the veteran presence that this team needed just to improve the operation of the offense. The defense has been the driving force of their success and after their latest performance against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers sit at 10-3 with full command of the AFC North with four games left. They still may trip up early on in the playoffs due to the randomness of football, but they’re better constructed to win a Super Bowl than in recent years past.

Their chances start with their defense, which is unequivocally one of the best in the league. According to TruMedia, the Steelers’ defense ranks second in percent of drives without a first down for the offense (38%), first in turnovers per drive (18.3%), fourth expected points per drive (-0.47), fourth in expected points added per play (-0.09) and third in expected points added per dropback (-0.07). They pair a raucous front seven led by Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt with a talented secondary that has stud players like Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr. With Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin pulling the strings, they’ve certainly been able to produce a championship-level defense — one that was even capable of neutering the Ravens’ high-flying offense.

Wilson hasn’t exactly made the Steelers a consistent offense, but they are performing a bit better than when Justin Fields was the quarterback. Since Week 7, when Wilson became the starting quarterback, the Steelers rank 14th in points per drive (2.18), seventh in net yards per pass attempt (7.8), third in conversions on third-and-long (34.1%) and 12th in expected points added per dropback (0.11). They aren’t a consistent offense — they…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-10 01:21:00

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