Stats indicate Steelers were better than their 2018 record

The Pittsburgh Steelers had some statistics in 2018 that may surprise you. Here is why they were better than their 9-6-1 record indicated.

I know the 2018 NFL season was a big disappointment for Steelers fans, and there is not a lot of point in dwelling on the past. What’s done is done. However, it’s worth mentioning that statistics indicated that Pittsburgh was better than their record last season.

The Steelers had a dramatic and disappointing end to their 2018 season. But it is encouraging to know that not all was bad. There were some statistics that they actually fared quite well in, according to Team Rankings.

For one, Pittsburgh finished the season as the 5th best scoring offense in the league. Their 26.8 points per game trailed New England by less than a point per game. While the Chiefs blew everyone else out of the water with their 34.8 points per game, the Steelers did really well in this area.

Also encouraging was that Pittsburgh was a top ten team in point differential – coming in at +4.2 points per game. In comparison, a playoff team like the Dallas Cowboys came in at just +0.5 point differential.

One of the most important aspects of football is being able to convert on 3rd downs. The Steelers did this at the 6th highest rate in the NFL – converting 3rd downs 44.4 percent of the time. This percentage outpaced the Rams, Patriots, and Eagles.

On the defensive side of the football, Pittsburgh allowed the 6th fewest yards per game at 327.2. This was a better mark than most playoff teams from a season ago, and they allowed 77 yards less per game than the Chiefs.

Likewise, the Steelers were the 5th best team at stopping the run last season, and 10th in passing yards allowed. Surprisingly, they were 6th in the NFL in allowing 3rd down conversions. Where they were average was their points allowed per game at 22.5 (16th in the league).

All of these impressive numbers suggest that the Steelers should have been better than their 9-6-1 record from a season ago. Pittsburgh had a lot of chips that didn’t fall their way last season, and they failed to close out games late. I take statistics with a grain of salt, but at the very least it is encouraging to see that the Steelers record could have been much better in 2018.