Overachieving Steelers Make NFL History Despite Offensive Struggles
The Steelers defeated the Titans on Thursday night, improving to 5-3 on the season as they remain in the thick of the AFC playoff picture. The win came even though Tennessee outgained Pittsburgh 340 yards to 326, something that actually has been pretty common this year.
Thursday’s contest marked the eighth consecutive game in which the Steelers have been outgained by their opponent to begin the season, the 34th time that has happened to an NFL team since 1933. However, Pittsburgh is the first team to have a winning record over that span despite not winning the yardage battle in any of their games, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Steelers are the 34th team in NFL history to be out-gained by their opponent in each of their first 8 games of a season.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 3, 2023
They are the first to have a winning record through those 8 games. h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/m8dSrzERkT
Through Week 9, Pittsburgh’s opponents have totaled 790 more yards than the Steelers, the second-worst margin in the entire NFL.
Throughout Mike Tomlin’s tenure as head coach, the Steelers have been known for their toughness and ability to win ugly games. With that in mind, Pittsburgh is 5-0 in one-score games this year but 0-3 in games decided by multiple possessions.
The Steelers are 5-3 and if you flipped the result of every one-score game they’d be 0-8
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) November 3, 2023
On the season, the Steelers are averaging just 278.5 yards per game, the fifth-worst mark in the NFL, and their 16.6 points per game ranks fourth-worst in the league. The Steelers defense, meanwhile, has allowed 377.3 yards per game, third-worst in the league, but their average of 20.4 points allowed per game ranks in the top half of the league.