Just when we thought the luck of the Steelers had finally run out, they found yet another way to prove us all wrong.
This last Sunday, Pittsburgh was on the winning end of a relatively low-scoring battle (shocker) with the Rams in Los Angeles. The victory gives the Steelers a pretty 4-2 record on the season and puts them on an official win streak.
I think most of us can agree that this news is all well and good, but many of those who missed the game for one reason or another may approach it with a touch (if not a heap) of skepticism, as Pittsburgh has proven that it’s not beyond snatching wins out of some rather sorry play—particularly on offense.
There’s no nice way to put it: If you’ve watched a single drive of the Steelers offense at any point this season, you’ve likely found yourself longing for consistency that would seemingly never come. That upsetting sensation was headlined by limited scoring abilities through the air and even more so on the ground and was inflamed by a reliance on defensive playmaking that was seen far more often than what should’ve been necessary.
Against the Rams, though, we saw less of an offense with no sense of direction and more of one that was quite possibly on its highest statistical rise yet.
The Steelers offense in Los Angeles was refreshing to say the least
This can be said about both the passing and rushing attacks, as quarterback Kenny Pickett saw the highest completion percentage he’s had in a game all season (68%) while the Pittsburgh offense as a whole finished with three rushing touchdowns to its name (despite earning none in Weeks 1-5). Also, George Pickens had another 100-yard day while Diontae Johnson had 79 in his return from an injury he sustained against San Francisco.
Now yes, there were still some imperfections on the offensive side in its entirety, such as there being no touchdown passes thrown and the opposing offense once again managing to obtain more total yards. Heck, there was even an interception return by T.J. Watt that set one of the scoring drives up inside the 10-yard line.
However, with how ugly things have looked leading up to this point, it’s hard to not take whatever strides come Pittsburgh’s way with an unquestioning smile. In fact, that’s especially so when considering the lineup of opponents the Steelers are in the middle of at the moment.
As I’ve previously mentioned in stints of doomsday prep, Week 5’s date with Baltimore was the beginning of a brutal stretch for Pittsburgh, as it was the first of five consecutive meetings against a team that's made a playoff appearance within the last two seasons. Winning back-to-back games would be a positive for Steelers fans to cling to no matter what, but them both being over squads of that standard only makes the future look all the brighter.
Again, the Steelers were still miles from perfect against the Rams, but if there has truly been nowhere to go but up for their offense, now might be the best time we’ve had so far for firing up a 2023 yinzer hype train.