3 reasons why the Steelers running game will improve in 2019
By Tommy Jaggi
3. Leading the NFL in passing didn’t work
The Pittsburgh Steelers led the entire NFL in passing last season, and Roethlisberger outpaced Patrick Mahomes as the number one passer with 5,129 yards. But at what cost?
Despite this number that clearly seems impressive at first sight, Mahomes had just 32 less passing yards on 95 less attempts. The Steelers passing numbers were extremely misleading, as they weren’t nearly as efficient passing the ball as some of the other teams around the league.
Leading a major statistically department because of volume doesn’t lead to success. This rings true to the Steelers and their passing game.
While Ben Roethlisberger is still a top ten quarterback, there is a reason why we don’t see other great signal callers pass the ball nearly as much. A balanced approach to the offense is what great coaches like Bill Belichick and Sean Payton use to keep them in every game.
The more Roethlisberger is forced to pass, the more turnovers he will be responsible for – it’s just the way it works.
The Steelers tried the heavy passing approach last season, but where did that get them? They earned a 9-6-1 record and missed the playoffs despite having a talented team. Interceptions down the stretch ended up costing the Steelers dearly, and a little more involvement from the run game could have saved their season.
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Overall, the Steelers need to get back to a more balanced approach on the ground. Losing Antonio Brown, adding Benny Snell, and understanding that always passing isn’t going to work should help them find the balance they need in 2019.