The Pittsburgh Steelers enter their Week 5 bye at 3-1, fresh off a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland, and sitting in first place in the AFC North. With the rest of the division either severely beaten up or struggling, their strong start could help power them to their first division title since 2020.
It hasn't been perfect by any means, but things have mostly broken the Steelers way through the first quarter of the season.
With the first quarter of the season complete and the usual mix of highs and lows that come week to week, here is how Pittsburgh’s season has been graded so far.
Breaking down how the Pittsburgh Steelers have performed through four games
Week 1 vs. Jets
Both offenses came out firing while both defenses struggled mightily. Entering the season, the Steelers were expected to have one of the league’s best defenses, while the offense was seen as a question mark. Instead, the opposite happened.
Pittsburgh’s defense surrendered 182 rushing yards and 32 points to a shaky Jets offense, while Aaron Rodgers threw for four touchdowns despite no real help from the ground game. The Steelers narrowly escaped with a 34-32 victory, capitalizing on a muffed kickoff return that set up a quick touchdown.
Week 2 vs. Seahawks
The same defensive issues showed up again as Kenneth Walker gashed the Steelers for 105 yards, including a game-sealing 19-yard touchdown run on 3rd-and-19 with just over three minutes left. Sam Darnold added 295 yards and two touchdowns through the air, though he also threw two interceptions. The Steelers' offense sputtered, failing to establish the run or consistently move the ball through the air. Rodgers threw two interceptions, and Pittsburgh fell 31-17.
Week 3 vs. Patriots
The defense finally turned things around in a big way, forcing five turnovers, recording five sacks, and largely shutting down New England’s rushing attack. The offense, however, delivered its worst performance of the season, managing just 64 rushing yards and 139 passing yards.
Despite the defense gifting them extra possessions, the Steelers' offense could only muster 21 points. The Patriots still had a late chance to tie but were stopped on fourth down, sealing a hard-fought Pittsburgh win.
Week 4 vs. Vikings
This was Pittsburgh’s most complete performance to date. Against a Vikings team coming off a 40-point rout of the Bengals, the Steelers were balanced on both sides of the ball. The defense dominated, generating six sacks, two interceptions, and holding Minnesota to just 70 rushing yards.
Offensively, Pittsburgh finally found success on the ground, rushing for 131 yards. The Steelers led comfortably 24-6 entering the fourth quarter, but the Vikings mounted a late rally. With the game on the line, the defense stepped up once again to close out a 24-19 win.
2025 season first quarter grade: B-
At 3-1 heading into the bye, the Steelers are right where they needed to be before the brutal stretch that awaits in the second half of the season. The schedule softens briefly after the bye with matchups against the Browns and Bengals, both of which are struggling, which gives Pittsburgh a real chance to reach 5-1 before the gauntlet begins. With Baltimore sitting at 1-3 and battling injuries, the Steelers have to capitalize on winnable games and avoid a bad slip-up against division rivals.
The defense has been the biggest storyline. After an unimpressive start, the unit has begun to resemble the dominant group many expected. They are getting after the quarterback, creating turnovers, and showing signs of tightening up against the run. The defense has not yet reached its ceiling, but that could change soon with key players set to return. Week by week, the improvement has been obvious, and this unit is trending in the right direction.
The offense, however, remains a mixed bag. Week 1 was an unexpected spark, but Weeks 2 and 3 looked like the stagnant offense fans have grown used to in recent years. Then in Week 4, against a talented defense and a strong defensive coordinator, the unit found rhythm and could not be stopped.
The offensive line is trending upward, but still has work to do, while the running game only showed real life for one week, thanks to creative jumbo packages. Beyond DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren, and Kenneth Gainwell, no other playmakers have stepped up in the passing game, and that has to change for the offense to stay balanced.
The bye week comes at the right time. It is a chance to regroup, refine what works, and fix what does not. If the Steelers want to be taken seriously as contenders rather than seen as a hot start team destined to fade, the defense must eliminate communication lapses and become a consistently elite unit across all three levels. The offense needs more playmakers to emerge, the line must continue to gel, and the offense has to strike a true balance between passing and running.
A quarter of the way in, Pittsburgh has looked like an above-average team. Now the question is whether they can build on this start or repeat last year’s pattern of fading after early success.