The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in a month-long funk. They’ve misplaced three of their final 4 video games, the most recent of which was a 25-10 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. One factor that has stood out all through the span of this stoop is how dreadful Pittsburgh’s offense is on third down.
Of their final three video games, the Steelers are 7-of-33 on third down – a measly 21 % conversion charge, which is sort of impressively unhealthy. So why are they so unhealthy on third down, and the way can they repair it? It begins on first and second down.
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Steelers Early Down Struggles
The Steelers persistently begin off drives/new sequences of downs too slowly and conservatively. Per SumerBrain, Pittsburgh ranks twenty third within the NFL in yards per play on first down and twenty second in first-down success charge. And whereas they’re proper at league common in second-down success charge, being league common on second down doesn’t negate being unhealthy on first down. Thus, the inflow of harder third-down conditions.
Steelers Constant Third-And-Lengthy Conditions
The third-down points largely stem from being arrange in constant third-and-medium or third-and-long conditions. Per SumerBrain, 60.4 % of Pittsburgh’s third-down performs are of 5 yards or extra, which is the ninth-most within the NFL. In that very same regard, 34.7 % of their third-down performs are of 10+ yards, which is the second-most within the league. And on Third-and-10 or longer, the Steelers are 6-of-35 – only a 17.1 % conversion charge.
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In distinction, when the Steelers face Third-and-4 or shorter, they’ve a 60 % conversion charge, which is eleventh within the NFL. The difficulty isn’t third down; it’s once they face third-and-long when issues go south. It’s an enormous motive why Pittsburgh has been considerably unstable offensively this season. We’ve seen video games the place they give the impression of being terrific, like of their first matchup with the Bengals. That they had simply two performs of Third-and-10 or longer, and had been 7-of-10 on third down for the sport. In opposition to the Packers and Chargers, they confronted 9 third downs that had been 10 yards or longer – they had been 1-of-9 on changing these into first downs.
So, third down isn’t essentially the Steelers’ concern – it’s particularly a third-and-long concern. And, to their protection, that’s all the time been the Arthur Smith M.O. – win on first down, arrange second-and-manageable to open up the playbook, and if second down fails, the third down is manageable. During the last handful of video games, although, they’ve discovered themselves unable to persistently win on early downs, which places them behind the eight ball. Dealing with a Bengals protection that they’ve already had success in opposition to, and that is far worse than the likes of the Chargers, Packers, and Colts ought to assist them get again in a groove on offense, and hopefully assist set a tone for the rest of the season.
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