The last team to lose undefeated status this season were the Pittsburgh Steelers and they are ready for the 2021 NFL playoffs despite losing four of the last five games of the year. It is a team that has shown great capacity defensively, especially when putting pressure on the quarterback, but whose offense has problems that place it as a one-dimensional unit.
The 2020 Season of the Pittsburgh Steelers
The first four weeks of the season had opponents who did not make the playoffs this year like the Giants in the first week, the Broncos in the second (in which Drew Lock was injured very early), the Texans with Deshaun Watson carrying the weight. Team and the Eagles (a disappointment team). The Steelers took the opportunity to start the season well.
In the second quarter of the season the rivals began to level up, but in the same way they came out well off by beating the Browns, Titans and Ravens, the latter two as visitors and all of them in the playoffs, although the Cowboys began to light an alert of doubt, because without Andy Dalton and facing Ben DiNucci, they were limited to rescue the victory at the end of the game. Finally the Steelers were with an 8-0 record.
The next three games did not present major complications when receiving the Bengals, visiting the Jaguars and receiving some depleted Ravens due to contagion issues. An 11-0 going into December looked spectacular and you could only dream of 16-0 still having complicated rivals ahead but with the motivation to be able to get away well.
Week 13 arrived, the cabalistic, but the rival seemed to show little resistance when arriving with four victories in Pittsburgh, however with a defense although young, with the ability to give anyone a hard time. Well, things did not go as expected and the second half turned into a game in which the Washington Football Team took control and took the victory. The Steelers’ first loss came.
One of the AFC favorites immediately came along and the Steelers lost again. It was time to resurface against a weak rival and old acquaintance of the division: the Bengals. Week 15 was the chance to get back on the winning track but that Monday night was a disaster and they couldn’t beat the Bengals with injury casualties, mainly in their starting quarterback and running back. Third consecutive loss that generated much criticism about the veracity of the team’s level just a couple of weeks before the playoffs that were already assured.
The game against the Colts in the penultimate week did not start as planned and looked like an imminent disaster, but the second half they did things differently, Ben Roethlisberger led a better attack and ended up turning the scoreboard to avoid the fourth consecutive loss. For the last week Mike Tomlin decided to rest Big Ben among others and although they fought Mason Rudolph’s hand, it did not reach them. They finished with 12 wins and four losses to clinch third place in the conference and play the first playoff weekend.
3 strengths of the Steelers
- The pass rushing, the best of your defense
The Steelers were a machine when it came to putting pressure on the opposing quarterback. Having TJ Watt makes things much easier for you to achieve this goal because he played in 2020 in a spectacular way. He was rarely seen being dominated by an offensive lineman and it didn’t even matter if he had to get rid of two opponents. Of course, on the other side, the great way Bud Dupree played helped, which complicated the opponents’ protection schemes.
Although not everything was pressure from the outside because in the center they had such dominant players as Cam Heyward and even Stephon Tuitt, who finished the year with 11.0 sacks, remaining only behind Watt, who got 15.0. They finished with 56 sacks on the year to be the best team in this field and maintain their live streak of 73 consecutive games with at least one sack. Unfortunately, Dupree was injured after week 12, a situation they suffered and could be key to maintaining the level shown throughout the season.
- An offense that knows how to generate points
It is true, they are not a balanced unit because they suffer from being effective when carrying the ball, but nowadays few teams are and they still score points which is basically the objective. The Steelers with Ben Roethlisberger’s experience at the controls and his ability to first read defenses and then quickly dispose of the ball correctly make them a dangerous offense. Of all their victories this season, only one occasion did not exceed 20 points and the rest were markers of 24 upwards, so they should focus on being effective with their great variety of pieces in the aerial attack, taking advantage of every ball that they make. to get.
- One of the best in ball delivery differential
Four teams finished tied with the most interceptions and one of them is the Steelers with 18 on the season. They also recovered nine lost balls to finish with 27 balls recovered in total, a number that places them in second place for the year. They obviously weren’t exempt from making mistakes and lost 18 to finish with a +9 differential, only trailing the Colts and Titans. So the Steelers take care of the ball and know how to get it back, a situation that could use them to change the course of a game in the playoffs.
3 Steelers weaknesses
They were the rushing attack that generated the fewest yards of the season and although I already mentioned that nowadays that seems not to matter, it is also a reality that they leave the responsibility on the shoulders of a quarterback who must forget about the play actions and face more men in coverage. Neither James Conner nor Benny Snell could be effective although they also had injury issues on the offensive line. Finally the problem exists and they will have to find ways to improve.
One of the characteristics of the good defenses of this team in other years was its linebacker corps. Today this group is not the best that this unit has and could be the Achilles heel in the next phase of the season. The leader in individual tackles ended up being Minkah Fitzpatrick, a player who has a great level but makes my point that this safety is one of the last men who should tackle.
Vince Williams finished second on the team with 47 tackles and then another safety, Terrell Edmunds. To give you an idea, the NFL’s leader in tackles finished with 164 tackles and yes, he is a linebacker. They lost Devin Bush through injury and brought in Avery Williamson from the Jets but it wasn’t what was expected, so I doubt this group will intimidate an opponent.
- Instability in your receptors
This group, including their tight ends, can be the brightest one week and the next to drop whatever passes they are sent. We’ve seen Diontae Johnson throw easy passes as well as Eric Ebron have similar moments and become more critical when they cut off the offense. I still believe that as a unit they are good and once with the ball they generate yardage, the point is that they come out focused so that Big Ben gets the most out of them.
Two Pittsburgh Steelers players to watch
Beyond the recurring and popular stars they have on the roster, these are players who can be decisive in the postseason:
Chase Claypool – WR
This rookie had dominating games showing that he can be a danger deep in the field as well as on short routes to generate yards. Even carrying the ball in reversibles, he proved to be relevant, so we must follow his performance very closely. He is a physical and fast type, a situation that makes him extremely difficult to cover. It’s time to exploit that talent in the playoffs.
Chris Boswell – PK / Matthew Wright – PK
We still do not know who will be in charge of kicking the extra points and field goals in the playoffs but without a doubt he should be one of the players that attracts the most attention. We know the importance of this position in deciding close games so having a reliable kicker becomes crucial, something these Steelers apparently already had. However, Boswell suffers from an injury at the end of the season that has left him out in three games for which they have had to turn to Wright who has complied on those occasions but has not been required either.
Postseason games are another ticket, so you would have to wait to see him in action in these instances because the pressure is different and he has not yet attempted a field goal of 50 or more yards. In case Boswell plays, we will have to wait to know if he will return to 100%. So keep an eye on who the playoff kicker will be.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could make it to the Super Bowl if …
If the offense finds different ways to advance the ball, in addition to his short passes that everyone already knows and, with a little help from his running attack. We already saw that they are capable of attacking deep in the second half of the week 16 game, but they need to be consistent. This means giving Big Ben time to keep the ball in his hands for longer, a situation that we have rarely seen this year as he is one of the fastest to get rid of the ball. The challenge will be to improve his running attack overnight, something that I see unlikely.
And of course, I assume that the defense will continue to pressure the QB, they will make plays that change the course of a game like recovering the ball.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be eliminated if …
They begin their confrontation with excess confidence. Two of his four losses this year, unexpected by the way, were against opponents with a losing record in which in theory the Steelers should have dominated. Unfortunately for their cause it was not like that and they paid the consequences against Washington and Cincinnati. This is where Mike Tomlin must take control of the situation and place his players to come out focused, showing their maximum potential and exploiting their strengths over the rival.
Key stats
- 56 sacks in the season, the best of 2020
- +11 is their ball delivery differential, the third best
- They allowed 19.5 points on average per game, the third best team
- 18 interceptions made, best tied with three other teams
- The second team that sends the most blitzes
- It was ranked seventh among the teams that committed the least penalties
- Fifth best defense on third chances
How do you think the Pittsburgh Steelers are doing in the postseason? We read you in the comments.
Don’t miss our entire series on each team that advanced to the 2021 NFL Playoffs:
