3 stats that doomed the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018

PITTSBURGH - APRIL 19: Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert of the Pittsburgh Steelers speaks during a press conference following practice on April 19, 2010 at the Pittsburgh Steelers South Side training facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH - APRIL 19: Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert of the Pittsburgh Steelers speaks during a press conference following practice on April 19, 2010 at the Pittsburgh Steelers South Side training facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) /
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Stats aren’t always important, but some are rather telling. Here are three important stats that doomed the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019.

Stats can tell a story. Sometimes they are misleading, but other times they can be right on the money. They let you look deeper into the goings on of the team and can tell you what your deficiencies are. This was the case for the Steelers in 2018.

I am a fantasy analyst so I look closely at the stats and try to interpret their meaning. I have found some stats that I think clearly define the weak areas where improvement is needed. They cast a light on what went wrong with the 2018 season.

I will give you three stats that are glaring problems that need to be fixed, as well as some others that reinforce their point. The Steelers front office, I am sure, are working very hard to fix them.

I am confident that this should come as no surprise to them, but some problems are very obvious that a fix should have already been in place. I am sure it is not as simple as an adjustment here or there but sometimes it might just be that simple.

The Steelers did not run the ball enough in 2018

In 2018, not only were the Steelers second to last in rushing attempts in the NFL, but it was their lowest total in five years. They attempted only 345 runs. Last time they ran the ball this little was in 2015 when they went 10-6.

I am not saying that rush attempts equates to wins, but could they make a difference? In the last five years there were 3 seasons that the total rushing attempts were over 400.

In 2017 the Steelers ran the ball 437 times and their record was 13-3 (best record and most attempts in five year span). Next was 409 attempts in 2016, and 423 attempts in 2014. The Steelers finished both years with 11-5 records.

The additions to the run game with the drafting of Bennie Snell, and the loss of WR Antonio Brown and Jessie James, should improve dramatically because they will be forced to revolve their offense around the running attack.

The defense was third to last in takeaways

This one threw me for a loop as their sack total was tied for first, and the Steelers were second in QB hits. This doesn’t make a lot of sense. I think takeaways will improve with a speedy, aggressive linebacker in Devin Bush.

The other areas of the defense were alright, but this was one glaring deficiency that needs to be addressed. I don’t know if this was an opportunity thing or if our defense just did not make enough plays.

Too many pass attempts

The Steelers were first in the NFL in pass attempts by a whopping 45 attempts. Even though the Chiefs had 50 touchdown passes, they still had less attempts than the Steelers! During the game against the Chiefs, the Steelers threw the ball 60 times! This dependence on the pass has to come down.

The ratio of passes to runs, as you can imagine, is also very poor. In 2018, 67.39 percent of the time was a pass and only 32.61 percent was a run. It got even worse on the road because the passing percentage went up to 70 percent! If the team wants to improve then this percentage needs to be closer together. I don’t think it needs to be a 50-50 split, but a team like the Patriots were much closer.  I think that is more of the ideal to strive for.

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I know that stats don’t tell the entire story, but they give you a good indication of a problem or deficiency. These will be improved upon and the Steelers will have a much better season in 2019 with some tinkering here or there but these are some places to start.