The Pittsburgh Steelers are 7-6 and lead the AFC North, but they haven’t made it look easy.
The Steelers have struggled on both sides of the ball, winning games by the skin of their teeth. They somehow have a winning record despite having a negative point differential and ranking bottom six in both offensive and defensive yardage.
Pittsburgh has struggled in several areas this year, including running the ball. Despite having two talented running backs in Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, the Steelers rank 29th in rushing yards per game, 28th in yards per carry and 21st in rushing touchdowns.
Typically when NFL teams win games, it involves running the ball well. Teams use the ground game to protect a lead and burn the clock in the fourth quarter, often boosting their rushing totals as a result.
That hasn’t been the case for Pittsburgh, however, which has won two games this year where it rushed for fewer than 40 yards. No other NFL team has done that even once this season.
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The first time came in Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts, where the Steelers prevailed 27-20 despite rushing for just 38 yards. The second time occurred last week, when Pittsburgh upset the Baltimore Ravens 27-22 with only 34 rushing yards.
The Colts and Ravens have two of the best run defenses in the league, so that’s not too surprising. However, it’s still a remarkable feat nevertheless.
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The Steelers have rushed for just 92 yards over their last two games combined, so they’ll look to get their ground game back on track against the Miami Dolphins this week. The Dolphins have surrendered the eighth-most rushing yards per game in the NFL, making this a good matchup for Pittsburgh’s backfield.
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Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images