No matter how you slice it, the Pittsburgh Steelers are an average football team who have been bailed out often this season. They lucked their way to a 4-1 record, and now they are on the brink of disaster at 5-4 heading into a defining matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. A loss against their division foe could lead to panic in Pittsburgh.
The offense has been an inconsistent mess. Aaron Rodgers has demonstrated that he can settle the offense down, yet at other times, the group appears dysfunctional. Another season brings additional challenges for this group to address. The past three games have been some of Rodgers's worst in a Steelers uniform. They want to run the ball, but they refrain from buying into that mentality.
They are a confused bunch.
When it comes to Mike Tomlin's defense, they are more worrisome than the offense. No one expected the offense to be great, but the defense has looked like its weakest link at times. Their only saving grace this season has been their pressure on the quarterback and turnovers. Without creating turnovers, the Steelers often struggle to stay in games.
Pittsburgh Steelers rely on Mike Tomlin's defense causing turnovers to bail out their season
Turnovers remain one of the biggest factors in the Steelers' success this season. Most of their wins have resulted from winning the turnover battle. It seems like a simple formula for success, but the approach has hidden flaws. They won four of their games by dominating the turnover battle, but they lost three matchups without the ability to take the ball away.
Great defenses can routinely cause turnovers, but that is not what Pittsburgh has been able to accomplish.
They have become risk-takers and are working on turning over the ball so much that it has affected them in a negative way. The Steelers cannot trust Tomlin's direction as he pursues his defense in a bad way. Their focus on turnovers is the only way to cover up the poor stench that follows them.
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Pittsburgh has lost only one game this season when it finished with two or more turnovers, and that was against the Seattle Seahawks. They cannot beat good starting quarterbacks when they fail to create turnovers, and their offense is inconsistent. The only game they won without forcing a turnover was against the Cleveland Browns.
Tomlin is in a tough spot with his team right now.
His defense continues to show signs of struggle despite being an expensive unit. His offense, led by Rodgers, hasn't found a consistent groove in the past three weeks. The key to victory is evident. If they win the turnover battle, they are likely to win the majority of games. It's not a sustainable practice for the Steelers, and it could lead to disaster this season.