Steelers: Top offense in the NFL?

If you missed yesterday’s Pittsburgh Steelers win over the San Francisco 49ers, then you missed a display of firepower rarely seen in the NFL, even in today’s offense-centric game.

Pittsburgh dominated the Niners right from the start and jumped out to a 29-3 lead in the first half. In the end they put 42 points on the scoreboard to go with 453 total yards. Ben Roethlisberger scorched San Francisco’s secondary so bad that he finished with a 155.8 passer rating.

Through two games the Steelers offense leads the league in total yards (917) and ranks third in points per game (32.0). While most of those yards and points have come via the passing game, Pittsburgh has also shown an impressive running attack led by DeAngelo Williams, who is averaging over one hundred rushing yards per game and five yards per carry.

While it’s still early on the season, it may be time to ask if the Steelers offense is the best there is in football right now.

What’s most remarkable about this scoring bonanza is that it has come while two of Pittsburgh’s most potent weapons have been on the shelf. Le’Veon Bell is arguably the most lethal scoring threat running back in the NFL and Martavis Bryant is the team’s second best wide receiver. Bell will return this week to face the St. Louis Rams, and in so doing he may be giving the Steelers offense the league’s top one-two punch at running back. Bryant will miss two more games but it’s not hard to imagine what the 6’4″, 211 pound receiver brings to the table: another redzone threat on a roster brimming with them.

Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself but the numbers from last year also support my case that this may be the league’s premier offense.

In 2014 the Steelers finished second in total yardage (6,577) and 7th in points per game (27.3.) Only the Indianapolis Colts managed to put up more yards through the air than Pittsburgh.

There are of course several other contenders for the top-offense title. The Colts, the Cowboys and the Packers should all make their case in the coming weeks, but none of those teams really jump out as having the sheer number of weapons that the Steelers can put on the field.

In fact, with Dez Bryant and Jordy Nelson missing significant time this year due to injury I believe Indianapolis is the only real threat to Pittsburgh’s offensive dominance.

If Andrew Luck and company can hang a big number on the New York Jets tonight I will come away very impressed and consider the #1 offense ranking up for grabs. If not, the Steelers won’t have any real competition on that side of the ball.

Against two of the league’s better defensive teams, so far they have proven to be pretty unstoppable. Should they get their act together on defense there’s really no limit to what the Steelers can do in 2015.

Next: Steelers MMQB: NFL Week 2 wrap up

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