You know how people say, “You can’t cheat the process?”
Well…the Steelers have been cheating the process for years.
No franchise in football violates the laws of logic quite like Pittsburgh.
Bad offense? Check.
No franchise quarterback? Check.
Mediocre roster? Check.
And somehow…back-to-back 10-win seasons?
How?
Black magic. Dark arts. Voodoo.
There’s no other explanation.
Let me give you a stat that doesn’t feel real.
The Steelers have led at halftime in just 10 of their last 34 games.
Yet they’ve won 20 of them.
That’s not sustainable. That’s not even normal.
Here’s how their offenses the last two seasons rank among 61 offenses to post double digit wins in a season since 2020:
- 59th and 60th in yards per play
- 58th and 59th in success rate
- 56th and 60th in EPA per play
Do a quick regression analysis on the Steelers offense over the last two years, and you'll find an offense that should lead a team to six or seven wins a season.
Not 10 wins each year.
They’re doing it because of turnovers and close-game voodoo.
+16 turnover margin in 2024
+11 in 2023
A 15–6 record in one-score games over two seasons — third best in the NFL behind the Eagles and Chiefs.
But unlike those teams, the Steelers have no elite offense, no top-tier quarterback, and no playoff wins to show for it.
So, let’s talk about the quarterback situation… because Pittsburgh had nearly a decade to find a successor for Ben Roethlisberger — and they botched it worse than any team in modern NFL history.
From 2017 to 2021, while Ben openly talked retirement, the Steelers drafted zero quarterbacks in the first two rounds.
In 2020 — the year they needed a QB more than ever — they traded away their first rounder.
And at pick 49? They drafted Chase Claypool.
Jalen Hurts went four picks later.
And since 2018? The Steelers have spent exactly one pick in the first six rounds on a quarterback.
That was Kenny Pickett. He’s gone.
So now? Enter 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers.
He’s the hope. The Band-Aid. The illusion.
But Rodgers isn’t Rodgers anymore.
In 2024, Russell Wilson — yes, Russell Wilson — was better than Rodgers across every major stat.
Unpressured dropbacks? Advantage: Wilson.
Yards per attempt? Wilson.
Completion rate, accuracy, EPA, success rate, third down conversion rate?
All advantage Wilson.
Rodgers averaged just 4.8 air yards per completion — same as Cooper Rush and rookie Drake Maye.
He throws quick. He throws short. He throws safe.
That helps avoid sacks — sure — but it also limits explosive plays and demands 12-play drives just to score.
And behind a young, shaky offensive line? That’s a huge risk.
Let’s talk about that line:
- Three starters from the 2024 draft
- One from 2023
- And one vet who led all guards in hurries allowed (despite playing just 14 games)
There’s upside. But there’s also real concern.
And Arthur Smith? He’s back calling plays. Last year, his Steelers offense ranked:
- 32nd in yards per play on first down
- 31st in success rate
- 28th in EPA
Statistically worse than Matt Canada. Yes, Matt Canada.
Even worse, Pittsburgh averaged just 0.92 points per drive in the first quarter. That was 30th in the NFL.
Over the last 100 games, they’ve scored just 10 opening drive touchdowns — dead last in the league.
So… how does this season end?
Probably how most Steelers seasons end lately:
- Competitive in September
- Overwhelmed in December
- Maybe a playoff game
- Definitely a playoff loss
The Steelers have made the postseason five times since 2017. They’re 0–5.
They have the worst playoff record of any team with five appearances in that span.
And this year’s closing schedule is brutal:
- Short week road game in Cincinnati
- Cross-country SNF game vs. the Rams
- Bengals who are off a bye
- Bills and Ravens, who are off mini-byes
- And the Lions on a rest disadvantage after MNF
That’s five games with a rest or travel disadvantage…all against playoff-caliber teams.
It’s a gauntlet — one they’re unlikely to survive with a 41-year-old quarterback, bottom-tier offense, and a defense that can’t keep bailing them out forever.
But here’s the scary part.
If they win just enough to finish 9–8, like always, it's not bad enough to draft a QB next year, despite being not good enough to matter this year.
It’s quarterback purgatory. And the Steelers live there now, more than any other of late.
They’ve convinced themselves — and sometimes us — that it’s working.
But until Pittsburgh makes finding a real, long-term quarterback their top priority?
They win enough battles, but each season they'll lose the war and miss out on finding their next field general.
Which is really the only thing that can get them to a seventh Lombardi Trophy.
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