Things could be worse for the Pittsburgh Steelers right now, but it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows either.

In Week 12, they just barely beat the Baltimore Ravens’ JV team 19-14. The following week, they saw their undefeated streak end at the hands of the Washington Football Team. Then, in Week 14, the Buffalo Bills handed them their second loss in a row.

The Steelers now have an 11-2 record, which still puts them atop the AFC North. However, their most recent loss and Kansas City’s win has the Chiefs with the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Come playoff time, Pittsburgh could really benefit from that spot; under the new format, only the top seed in each conference gets a first-round bye.

While Pittsburgh is already playoff bound, their performances the last three weeks are troubling, to say the least. Unfortunately, this is all too reminiscent of what happened to them last season.

The 2019 woes for the Steelers

Offense was the Steelers’ Achilles heel last year. They amassed only 90.4 rushing yards per game, along with only 186.3 passing yards per game. Those were fourth and second worst in the league, respectively.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, they were the third-worst team in total offensive yards per game with only 276.8. To put that into perspective, the league-leading Dallas Cowboys racked up an average of 431.5 total yards per game. 

They also only scored around 18.1 points per game, which was sixth worst in the league. Only Denver, Chicago, Cincinnati, the New York Jets, and Washington scored less points.

Turnovers didn’t help the offense either; they gave up 19 interceptions and 11 fumbles for a total of 30 giveaways. This made them the fifth worst team at giving the ball away.

Their defense, however, was the bright spot of the team and a big reason why they went 8-8. They posted the fifth best defense, giving up only 304.1 total yards per game. Pittsburgh also boasted the best turnover defense in the league, tallying 38 total turnovers (20 interceptions and 18 forced fumbles).

It’s safe to say that quite a few victories last year were thanks to the defense. If it weren’t for their stellar play, the team could have been a lot worse off than .500.

Is this déjà vu?

Looking at the current Steelers’ play over the last three games, there are definite similarities. The offense looks like it’s in a coma most of the time, which forces the defense to have to make the big plays.

Even though the Steelers have Ben Roethlisberger this time around, the offensive play calling right now is horrendous. It lacks any sense of creativity; teams already know what to expect before they even step on the field.

Several things factor into this, with the first being the nonexistent run game. Over the last three games, they have averaged an abysmal 45.3 rushing yards. How do you expect the offense to keep opposing defenses honest when they are currently so one-dimensional?

But perhaps the biggest issue is the receivers dropping the football. Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson leads the league with nine dropped passes, with tight end Eric Ebron dropping four of his own. Overall, the team is tied with Dallas for the most dropped passes with 27.

Something like that is unacceptable, flat out. We’ve seen too many drives lately stopped dead in their tracks because someone can’t catch a pass. With the offense already unable to run the football, the last thing they need are these simple plays going to waste.

Luckily, the defense is showing up like they did last year. They scored seven of the 19 points in the victory over Baltimore, as well as forcing four turnovers in the last three games. Once again, they have to try and do it all to compensate for the lack of offense.

However, like we saw towards the end of last year, eventually the defense will wear down after spending so much time on the field. The mounting injuries also won’t help them either, especially with the recent losses of Bud Dupree and Robert Spillane.

Final thoughts on the Steelers

With only three games left in the regular season, the team must right the ship and fast. If not, they will potentially lose the AFC North title and their playoff run may only last one game.

The Pittsburgh Steelers head to Cincinnati this week to take on the Bengals.

With a win or a Browns loss to the New York Giants, they will clinch the AFC North. Pittsburgh also clinches if their game and Cleveland’s both end in a tie. It’s highly unlikely, but it’s 2020, so never count anything out.

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