Right now, I needed to have a look at and supply information on the last word stat that determines success, factors per recreation (Pts/G) throughout the NFL within the 2024 common season. There are clearly so many elements that go into being a powerful crew that places up factors. Listed here are some current research that dive into strengths and weaknesses, specializing in the Pittsburgh Steelers.
ANY/A Stats: 2024 Common Season Rankings
2024 Common Season Explosive Vs. Adjusted Explosive Performs
2024 Common Season Cumulative ANY/A, TOX, Profitable Run Charges
2024 REGULAR SEASON: TOX VS. ATOX
These information factors are among the greatest at predicting the NFL’s greatest, and the way these squads separate themselves on the prime of the league. On the next Pts/G visible, a number of have been stellar in linked articles on offense and/or protection, and illustrating postseason groups with darker logos is extraordinarily telling.
Instantly, we see among the greatest groups within the NFL have been comfortably above common on each side of the ball. 10-of-14 playoff offenses have been above common in Pts/G within the common season. What might shock are extra defenses being at or above the road (13-of-14), together with Pittsburgh, and the one exception being Washington by a tenth of some extent. Whereas it’s change into an offensive centered league, defenses nonetheless win championships.
A number of issues derailed for the Steelers to finish the 2024 season, however the protection nonetheless ended the yr with a prime ten 20.4 Pts/G quantity that ranked eighth. There have been encouraging steps for Pittsburgh’s offense on the scoreboard in comparison with 2023, once they had 17.9 Pts/G (T-Twenty seventh). This yr, that quantity was significantly better at 22.4 which ended up at sixteenth, however down trended within the four-game shedding streak and within the 28-14 Wild Card loss to Baltimore.
Whereas that’s unlucky and inexcusable, recency bias has many forgetting some good instances for the 2024 Steelers offense. Right here’s a weekly Pts/G visible:
First, let’s have a look at Pittsburgh’s video games that have been above the 22.9 league common within the common season. 7-of-17 video games match that description (41.2-percent), not a perfect frequency, however resulted in a 6-1 file. Two occurred within the first six video games, when Justin Fields was the beginning QB, together with the loss, 27-24 vs. the Colts Week 4. Which means Russell Wilson went 5-0 in video games when the offense was above common in Pts/G.
Right here’s that listing of wins:
Week Seven vs. NYJ – 37-15
Week Eight vs. NYG – 26-18
Week Ten vs. WAS – 28-27
Week 13 vs. CIN – 44-38
Week 14 vs. CLE – 27-14
Three opponents merely weren’t good groups in 2024 general, with the Commanders and Bengals victories deserving extra props. The previous was a detailed win in opposition to a crew nonetheless within the playoff dance, then maintaining with the potent Cincinnati offense, impressively. These 44 factors have been a lot wanted in that shootout, a season-high for Pittsburgh, and tied for Eleventh-most throughout your complete 2024 common season.
Three playoff groups had a number of showings that have been higher. Detroit had two 52-point outings that tied themselves for the NFL’s greatest, together with a 47-point day. Buffalo had two prime ten marks at 48 and 47 factors, and Tampa Bay put up 51 and 48 within the 2024 common season.
Sadly, 10-of-17 video games have been beneath the road for Pittsburgh (58.8-percent). A staggering quantity got here to start out the yr, and although the Steelers had a 4-2 file with Fields by means of Week Six, 4 of these performances had beneath common Pts/G on offense with only one loss.
There was additionally a two-game lull to start out their stretch of 4 AFC North in Weeks 11 and 12, together with an 18-16 win on Baltimore, however a wretched 24-19 loss in Cleveland. That was a painful one to abdomen, however the Steelers turned it round for 2 divisional wins (with above common Pts/G).
Then got here the top of the yr unraveling. As you’d most likely guessed, the offense was nicely beneath common in scoring factors within the four-game shedding streak:
Week 15 vs. PHI – 27-13
Week 16 vs. BAL – 34-17
Week 17 vs. KC – 29-10
Week 18 vs. CIN – 19-17
Sure, the standard of competitors is stronger than the listing earlier. However with the ability to step as much as the problem is what the most effective of the most effective are capable of do, and Pittsburgh failed in sinking vogue with not more than 17 factors in heading into the playoffs.
We additionally see the protection deserves blame as nicely, however did shut nicely within the finale in opposition to Cincinnati’s robust offense, who have been the one non-playoff crew Pittsburgh confronted the final 4 weeks.
Good time to transition to the weekly defensive chart:
A story of two defenses, with only one beneath the road recreation previous to the Week 9 bye in a loss to Indianapolis. Held opponents to beneath common Pts/G 88.9-percent in these video games, when Pittsburgh was 6-2.
Publish-bye, 6-of-9 video games have been below-average, with a 2-4 file and simply 33.3-percent have been restricted on the scoreboard in comparison with league common. Clear impression within the Steelers demise. With the groups reliance on turnover tradition that waned general late within the season, the outcomes on the scoreboard severely impacted the win column.
Whereas that’s an impactful ingredient of the sport, it may be unpredictable at instances, which Pittsburgh discovered much less luck in later in 2024. Compounding this was the offense not taking good care of the ball as nicely. This begs the query of tweaking the mannequin, like extra efficiency on offensive facet of the ball, hopefully balancing to the general stronger defensive unit subsequent season.
Whereas issues might have been worse, this could go a great distance in lastly getting a extra fascinating consequence, particularly their first playoff win since 2016. Excessive on my radar are stronger begins that included no first drive TDs in 2024, which has additionally been an enormous subject within the playoffs. Digging these holes early places stress on your complete crew, and places the opposition within the driver’s seat, which the NFLs greatest capitalize on most of the time.
My second precedence for Pittsburgh is enhancing within the purple zone, after rating twenty ninth offensively within the stat this season. Large for the all-important Pts/G stat we’re discussing clearly, and if that was even a mean mark, would have balanced the crew to the place the protection wasn’t as gassed and negatively impacted their high quality of play.
Pittsburgh’s protection was top-of-the-line purple zone models early in 2024, however waned post-bye and ended the yr with a thirteenth rank. This after all impacted the completely completely different protection we noticed, and never in a great way. The Steelers did have encouraging moments that obtained them to the dance, which hopefully carry over to 2025, however there are clear areas in my view that might get them excessive subsequent season.
Stability within the Steelers approach has them constantly with a successful file by seasons finish for almost 20 years beneath HC Mike Tomlin. However a must shake up philosophy and identification a bit is so as in hopes of catching the NFLs elite groups. Not an overhaul, however leaning extra into essential stats as they do with turnovers and takeaways can be smart.
Particularly being robust in ANY/A which is most predictive to Tremendous Bowl aspirations would prime my listing, and aiding Pittsburgh sitting prettier on the scoreboard in 2025.
To shut, listed here are NFL level differentials for the 2024 common season:
The highest 11 groups in level differentials all made the playoffs. Cincinnati simply missed out, touchdown twelfth, proper above Pittsburgh at a plus-2 differential (thirteenth). So, above-average, however contemplating 14 groups punch their ticket within the playoffs, we get context to why their exit got here early.
All 4 groups the Steelers fell to within the four-game shedding streak had higher level differentials this season, including extra context to the struggles, whereas not meant to excuse these performances both. 13-of-14 postseason squads had a optimistic level differential in 2024, and right here’s to hoping Pittsburgh’s lands stronger subsequent yr within the all-important stat.
