Steelers yards per pass attempt: 6.4 (28th)
The inability to consistently and efficiently pass the ball down the field this season is arguable as big of an issue as anything on the team right now. Because Ben’s connection beyond 10 air yards is so poor with his receivers (most notably Chase Claypool), this offense has really struggled to scare anyone.
As a result, the short passing game allows defenses to play more aggressively and closer to the line of scrimmage. This is why so many teams get away with playing single-high coverage against the Steelers and daring Ben Roethlisberger to pass the ball down the field against single coverage.
Right now, Pittsburgh ranks just 28th in the NFL in yards per attempt, according to Team Rankings, and there is a direct correlation, between the teams at the top of this list how good their offense is.
The only teams who have passed for fewer yards per attempt than the Steelers this year have been the Bears, Dolphins, and Lions. Even the Jets and Jaguars with rookie quarterbacks have higher yards per attempt so far this year. If this number doesn’t improve drastically, Pittsburgh’s offense will be severely limited.