The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t looked particularly great on both sides of the ball to start the year, but that hasn’t stopped them from going 3-1 in September.
Despite some inconsistencies that have contributed to a minus-two point differential, the Steelers have come through when it matters, winning all three of their one-possession games. Their offense and defense both took significant steps forward in Week 4’s 24-21 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, turning in their best performances of the season thus far.
On offense, Pittsburgh racked up 313 total yards — a season-high. That was fueled by its success on the ground, where the Steelers amassed a season-best 131 rushing yards (including 99 from Kenneth Gainwell) on 29 carries despite not having Jaylen Warren available.
Defensively, Pittsburgh was sharp as well, sacking Carson Wentz six times and picking him off twice. The Steelers kept Wentz under pressure and limited the Vikings’ rushing attack, holding them to just 70 yards on the ground and allowing just six points through the first three quarters.
That comes on the heels of a strong Week 3 showing in Foxborough, where Pittsburgh’s defense forced five turnovers in a gritty 21-14 win over the New England Patriots. The Steelers also sacked Drake Maye five times.
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Pittsburgh’s vaunted defense has turned things around after a slow start. After surrendering a whopping 63 points to the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks through the first two weeks, the Steelers have yielded just 35 points over the last two weeks combined. They’ve also notched 11 sacks, 49 pressures and seven turnovers over the last two weeks, wreaking havoc against New England and Minnesota.
The addition of Jalen Ramsey seems to be paying off, as he already has one interception, four pass breakups and 14 tackles. T.J. Watt has also returned to form after a slow start, recording three sacks, 10 tackles and a forced fumble over the last two weeks.
Pittsburgh will try to keep that momentum going when it returns from its bye week against the hapless Cleveland Browns in Week 6.
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