Despite Perfect Record, Steelers Aren't Perfect
It's time to put the Yinzer cap on. Our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers are off to an 8-0 start for the first time in their storied franchise's history. That's all well and good. Despite the perfect record, this has not been a perfect team.
Now that's not to say the team hasn't been any good, they have established themselves as one of the few truly elite teams in the NFL. They are far from unbeatable or perfect, though, and there's a whole slew of reasons.
As we know from watching the Steelers for so long, this team never likes to make it easy on us. Whether they're playing the league's best team or the worst, it always seems like the game will come down to the wire.
That has been the case once again this year, and it's probably the national media's biggest knock on the team.
They have only put one complete game together all year. When the Steelers trounced the Cleveland Browns 38-7, it was the first and only time the team has played a complete game this year. Against the Giants, Texans, Ravens, and Cowboys, they got off to terrible starts.
On the flip side, the team came out of the gates hot against the Titans and Eagles but struggled to close the games strong. At the end of the day, all that matters is wins and losses. However, the manner in which a team wins can't be overlooked.
Aside from one game this year, the Steelers don't really have a convincing win.
To piggyback off the previous point, Pittsburgh's slow offensive starts have been a concern this year. Of their 18 offensive touchdowns through eight games, only three have come in the first quarter. This aligns perfectly with Ben Roethlisberger's first quarter numbers.
Roethlisberger has completed 58.5% of his passes in the first quarter with a 76.6 passer rating and has been sacked four times. For comparison, Roethlisberger has completed 80% of passes with a 121.1 passer rating and has taken zero sacks in the fourth quarter this year. The offense just always seems to sleepwalk through the first quarter. Whether it comes down to poor game planning and play calling or just poor execution, something needs to improve early in the game. The team can't continue to put themselves into holes and expect Roethlisberger to work his magic and lead the late-game comeback.
Despite all the good things to be said about the Steelers defense, there have been some drawbacks, too. The first thing that comes to mind is their third down defense.
Of the 32 NFL teams, Pittsburgh ranks 20th in third down conversions allowed. The game with the Eagles is a perfect example of what has killed the Steelers defense this year. It wasn't third and short situations that were killing the defense. They were successful in getting the Eagles into third and long situations, but they would allow explosive plays, which extended drives.
Against the best offenses in the league, the defense will need to do a much better job getting off the field on third down.
Big plays have been another thorn in the side of the Steelers defense this year, especially lately. Against a mediocre Cowboys offense, the defense gave up seven plays of 15 yards or greater. Other big plays, like AJ Brown's long touchdown, Miles Sanders 74-yard touchdown run, and both of Willie Snead's 30+ yard receptions all come to mind.
The defense, for the most part, has shut teams down. But a couple of big plays here and there are all it takes to change a great defensive performance to an average one. The big plays are happening far too often. One lapse in communication against an offense like the Chiefs or Seahawks will lead to a walk-in touchdown. Big plays need to be cut down, moving forward.
There's a lot to be happy about when a team is 8-0. Like AllSteelers' Donnie Druin pointed out, it's great that the Steelers are learning from close wins rather than learning from losses. An undefeated record doesn't take away from the validity of criticisms, though.
There's a lot that needs to improve from the Steelers between now and the playoffs. These things might not matter against teams like the Bengals, Jaguars, or Washington Football Team. But a ten-point first quarter deficit or five big plays allowed against a team like the Chiefs or Bills in the playoffs could dig a hole that the Steelers can't overcome.
We know how good the Steelers can be at their best. The next step is playing that well more often, not just with their backs against the wall.
It's good to be battle-tested come playoff time, but it's also good to trust that a team is capable of putting four quarters of their best football together. We haven't seen it enough yet this year.
Connor Deitrich is a Contributor with AllSteelers. Follow Connor on Twitter @CDeitrich22, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
