Steelers set bizarre records with odd stats amid loss to the Bills

The Steelers game against the Bills certainly did not leave fans much to be cheerful about, as Josh Allen’s offense routed the Steelers 38-3.

It was their worst loss since 1989 when Cleveland clobbered the black and gold 51-0 in the season opener for the 1989 season, and it was their 6th worst loss of all time. Despite the loss, there were some bright spots in the statistic category, a few dismal ones as well, and a few odd stats too.

Pickett was the first rookie quarterback to start against the Bills since Devlin Hodges did in 2019. And the 2nd rookie overall to face the Bills since Terry Bradshaw did nearly 52 years to the day on 10/11/1970. Bradshaw is the only Pittsburgh rookie to beat the Bills.

However, Pickett did lead the Steelers to an opening drive score in the 2022 Season when the Steelers kicked a field goal for their only score of the game.

Pickett sets a few more Steelers records

It’s hard to fathom that Kenny Pickett has managed to set records, after one and a half games, nonetheless, Pickett has, and Pickett set more records against the Bills, which does not seem possible after their performance. In addition to the records he set against the Bills, there was one additional record from his NFL debut against the Jets. Pickett is the only quarterback to score two rushing records in his debut game in the NFL.

In the Bills game, Pickett passed for 327 yards and, in the process, broke the record set by Ben Roethlisberger when he passed for 312 yards against the Giants in 2004.

Porous Steelers defense sets a record also

The Steelers defense seemed to have no answer for Josh Allen, and he victimized the Pittsburgh defense all afternoon. Josh Allen finished the day with 424 yards passing yards and broke the record of 422 passing yards set by Doug Williams against the Steelers on 9-11-1988 as Washington edged out Pittsburgh 30-29. However, it was the most passing yards allowed since they gave up 411 yards in a 2017 loss to Detroit. What are the most passing yards the Steelers have allowed in a win? Arizona passed for 414 yards in 2015 and lost 24-13.

Despite the passing yards allowed, the Steelers defense also allowed the Bills to rush for 120 yards setting another record of sorts. The Steelers had never allowed over 400 passing yards in conjunction with over 100 rushing yards. The most combined rushing and passing yards allowed came against the Patriots on 11/03/13 when they put up 371 passing yards and 197 rushing yards. The Bills game is only the third game in Pittsburgh history in which they allowed 552 or more total yards, with the last being the aforementioned Patriots game in 2013 and against the Bengals on 11/6/88.

In the odd category, though, in team history, they have allowed three games to the Bengals, giving up at least 500 total yards in 1988, 1989, and 2001.

Steelers receivers go MIA

While the Steelers have scored seven touchdowns since the start of the season, none of them have been to a wide receiver. Pittsburgh quarterbacks rushed for three of them, one rush by a running back, one was a defensive pick-six, and two others were receiving touchdowns but to non-wide receivers.

The last time that occurred was in 1988. Pittsburgh quarterback Bubby Brister did not have a TD pass in the season’s first four games. It was not until week five that Brister even threw a touchdown and hit tight end Eric Green for two touchdown passes.

And in the Steelers odd category

On the game’s first series, Josh Allen torched the Steelers secondary with a 98-yard passing touchdown. That by itself is not that odd. It was the longest pass play the Steelers allowed since 9/11/1966 when Earl Morral hit Homer Jones for 98 yards for a Giants score. The longest the Steelers ever allowed was 99 going back to 10/15/1939 when Washington quarterback Frank Filchock had a 99-yard touchdown strike to Andy Farkas.

The last such touchdown pass of more than 80 yards occurred on 11/13/2016 when Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliot caught an 83-yard touchdown strike from Dak Prescott. Here is where things get a bit odd.

The Steelers, in team history, have given up five total pass plays of over 90 yards. Of the five pass plays, two of the touchdown plays involved ex-Steelers players. The first was the Giants game, as Earl Morral played for Pittsburgh long before playing for the Giants and the second was in 2016 when Joe Flacco hooked up with Mike Wallace for a 96-yard touchdown strike. If you recall, Mike Wallace had played for the black and gold before leaving as a free agent.

The Steelers may not have beaten the Bills, and the game disappointed fans abroad. However, next week, the Steelers play Tampa Bay. It will be the rookie Kenny Pickett against the aging veteran Tom Brady in a game that could cause any number of odd results and hopefully a shocking victory by the rookie over the crafty veteran leading to a changing of the guard in the NFL.