Today, I wanted to take a look at and provide third-down conversion stats for both sides of the ball. The situation is obviously a crucial one for an NFL team’s success, or vice versa. Here’s a visual of how the league has fared on offense and defense on third down:
The Pittsburgh Steelers land on the bottom right of the chart, meaning their offense has been the stronger unit. Clearly above average at that, with a 43.3-percent third-down conversion rate that ranks eighth-best through Week Seven. It is a young 2025 season, but the Steelers’ third-down offense ranked middle of the pack last year. So, a clear improvement thus far.
The same cannot be said for the Steelers’ defense. A 41.9-percent third-down conversion rate allowed ranks a lowly 25th, far below expectations or what’s expectable. This makes a lot of sense within Pittsburgh’s time-of-possession problem. A significant factor is obviously an inability to get third-down stops, and it is in dire need of a remedy, after ranking second-best in 2024 (35.3-percent third-down conversion rate allowed). Ugly difference indeed.
In last week’s loss, Pittsburgh’s defense got carved up in the passing game. It was not terrible on third down, but it allowed a 50-percent third-down conversion rate, a bit worse than its season average. The Steelers’ offense was great, with a 70-percent third-down conversion rate. So, we’re seeing a clear theme that the defensive side of the ball needs to pick it up on third downs, getting more stops and, in turn, a greater chance of winning.
It’s a critical time to do so, with the Steelers hosting the NFL’s top third-down offense in the Green Bay Packers. They have a 49.3-percent third-down conversion rate, and whoever wins this battle could be a huge key to victory. Looking at Pittsburgh’s opponents this year, we also see that most of those offenses are below average, with New England being the exception.
In addition, Green Bay is one of the few teams clearly above the mean on both sides of the ball. While not as strong as their offense, the Packers’ 36.9-percent third-down conversion rate allowed ranks 12th, clearly the better-balanced third-down team in 2025. In fact, their 12.4 third-down differential (offense—defense) is the best in the league as well.
As they say, though, any given Sunday, which hopefully goes in Pittsburgh’s favor. Particularly on defense, a unit that has really struggled to get off the field. If not, things could get ugly against the top third-down offense in the NFL.
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