How the Steelers get back to the superbowl in 2021

Steelers passing and rushing game

Since the Steelers’ last Superbowl appearance, Pittsburgh’s rushing game has been horrid. Except for 2011, each season, their rushing output has ranked no higher than 45th in their team’s history since 1940. In 2011 their total rushing yards only ranked the 38th best since 1940. Between the 2001-2010 seasons, the Steelers rushed for 20636 yards. That’s 2063.6 yards a season and 128.975 yards a game over that stretch. Plus, they had 145 rushing touchdowns in that stretch as well. .90 rushing touchdowns a game and 14.5 per season. Since drafting Roethlisberger between 2004-2010, they rushed for 14,254 yards or 2036 yards a season, 127.6 yards per game with .91 touchdowns a game, and 14.71 touchdowns a season. In that time frame, they had three Superbowl appearances.

Since 2011 The Steelers have rushed for 15969 yards. That is a meager 1596.9 yards per season, averaging 99.80 yards per game. Their rushing touchdowns dropped to 11.7 touchdowns a season and .73 rushing touchdowns per game. Plus, no Superbowl appearances. With the decrease in the rushing performance, Pittsburgh put extra pressure on Ben Roethlisberger to win games. From 2004-2007 Roethlisberger passed for 22,502 yards coming to 3214.57 yards a season, 227.29 yards per game, averaging 20.57 touchdowns a season, and 1.28 per game.

Since 2011, he has passed for 37,846 yards averaging 3784.6 per season, 282.43 yards a game. Roethlisberger has thrown 252 touchdowns averaging 25.20 per season and 1.575 per game in that same time frame.   Even adjusted for the three years Roethlisberger was not in the league from 2001-2003, he still only throws for 32,145 yards that’s 5,700 less than he has since 2011.