The beatings continue until morale is restored. That’s my take on the Pittsburgh Steelers first down offense. If they keep making it bad, I’m going to keep writing about it. The switch to QB Russell Wilson has had a lot of benefits, but there’s one area where it hasn’t: first downs. The Steelers can’t run the ball on first down, whether it’s Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Kenny Pickett or Mitchell Trubisky.
In 2024, the Steelers will manage just 4.1 yards per play on first downs (excluding knee downs and no plays). Not only is this 32nd in football, it’s clearly the worst. Below are the bottom five teams.
First Down Offense (2024)
28. Browns – 4.8 yards
29. Jets – 4.8 yards
30. Raiders – 4.6 yards
31. Patriots – 4.5 yards
32. Steelers – 4.1 yards
That’s nearly half a yard worse than the 31st-ranked New England Patriots. And it’s not like the Steelers are holding up against the league’s most potent offenses. they are in the worst situation. bad Really, better than the worst.
And they rank 31st in first down percentage, which measures how often a team gets a first down. That number is 13.7 percent, a tenth better than the Patriots.
But these are season-wide stats that capture two chapters of the season. Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. Has anything changed since Wilson joined the lineup?
The short answer is no.
From Weeks 7 to 12, the Steelers averaged 4.1 yards per first down. That ranks 31st in the NFL, just ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders’ 4.0.
Technically, the Steelers are better with Wilson underneath Fields. Wilson averages 4.1 yards per first down and Fields averages 4.0 yards per first down. But the difference is clearly negligible.
That doesn’t apply entirely to quarterbacks. We have a run and pass game. But under Wilson, the Steelers are gaining a league-low 4.6 yards per first-down pass. Fields had a good 5.1 yards.
This is a year-over-year issue that Pittsburgh doesn’t seem to understand. It has a little to do with the conservative, run-first nature of the offense. Naturally, that would bring some of those numbers down, but the Steelers will be looking for big plays less often than clubs that are more comfortable with the pass. Still, there’s no excuse or rationale to always be this disappointing on first downs, which only leads to the Steelers playing behind the sticks and winning on third downs.
There is no solution other than to do it better. There is no magic wand to wave, no specific plan fix that will turn the whole thing around. He’s the anchor of an offense that’s trying to stay above water even though he’s struggled season after season.
