Negative plays can downright ruin drives and game outcomes, or aid in staying on schedule if they are limited. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had their fair share of them, and today, I wanted to look at and provide data context for both sides of the ball across the league through Week Eight.
First up are offenses. Here are negative play (<= zero yards) rates on all pass and run plays. No plays, spikes, nor kneels are removed:
In totality, Pittsburgh’s offense has done a pretty good job of avoiding negative plays compared to the NFL. They rank 11th, with a 30.2 percent negative play rate (lower numbers are best). In a larger sample size I did in 2024 (through Week 12), the Steelers had a 31.2 number, which ranked 15th at that point of the season. The unit has been above average during the past two seasons, and it’s nice to see them just outside the top 10.
It’s an important element to how Pittsburgh is built, but looking at a weekly view sheds light to the season average:
Here we gain some important context. More negative plays can be expected to start a season as teams get their feet under them, which was true for Pittsburgh’s offense. The best game at limiting negative plays by far was in Dublin Week Four against Minnesota. That 19.6 percent negative play rate certainly aided the victory, with Week 7 versus the Bengals their second-best outing (25.9).
Though the latter was a loss, we see Pittsburgh was above average in its first two division games of 2025. Last week against Green Bay, though, the Steelers’ negative play rate dropped below league average for the first time since Week 2. It was 34.5 percent to be exact, the team’s second worst mark of the year. Recalling the Packers’ second ranked offense in 2025, it was one of the many battles Pittsburgh was on the wrong side of in the ugly loss.
Looking back at the first chart, we see the Steelers next challenge in the Colts rank third to date, so flipping the storyline this week would definitely be wise.
Now, let’s look at the defensive results:
Not even close to what you’d expect from a Pittsburgh defense that prides itself on creating negative plays. The 30.1 percent (large numbers are best) negative play rate ranks 21st on the season, likely unsurprising with how poor things have looked, especially of late. The Steelers defense had a 35.5 percent negative play rate through Week 12 of 2024 (seventh). Substantial regression that cannot continue in attempts of righting the ship.
Pittsburgh is set to face an Indianapolis offense that has looked great this season, including being top three in limiting negative plays on offense. This visual reveals that the Colts rank fifth on defense, with a 34.8 percent negative play rate. It could play a big part in the victor, no doubt.
Lastly, here is the weekly view (brace yourselves):
Last game…gross. Pittsburgh’s defense created an abysmally low 17.5 percent negative plays against Green Bay, which was the eighth worst rate of 2025 (out of 242 contests). It was a very difficult game to watch in the second half, basically handing out chunk plays like Halloween candy. There is a ripple effect of negative plays, too, impacting down/distance and sustaining drives for example.
This was of course the case against the Packers, with Pittsburgh having horrid third down results. Another impact Pittsburgh is suffering as a result is time of possession, running the fewest offensive plays and most on defense. Difficult to overcome for any team, despite the roster talent.
The defense has also been below average more often than not, including the last two games (both losses). The three best outings were against Seattle, Minnesota and Cleveland. Not exactly the most high-flying offenses.
The upcoming schedule is getting more difficult to boot, starting with the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts who are red hot and a top five unit in negative plays on both sides of the ball. Pittsburgh’s defense will have its hands full and must trend positively in my opinion to get back in the win column. It doesn’t look great on paper, and if they can’t, it could be more of the same pain as last game.
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