The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost five games this season. Shockingly, they have led at halftime in three of them. It’s a drastic difference from some of the Steelers teams of recent years that thrived in the second half to win games. But no lead feels safe for this team, even when things are going exceedingly well early in games.
“I feel like if we go into a game and we’re only up 10 or less, we’re gonna be in trouble,” Ben Roethlisberger said via his Footbahlin podcast. “Because I’m nervous about our halftime adjustments or lack thereof. We need to be up by 20-some at halftime.”
That is not exactly a ringing endorsement of Pittsburgh’s coaching staff. They have already been under fire from the fan base and media this week. Perhaps they are due credit for all the game planning throughout the week that has led to strong starts, but they have limped to the finish line in most games. While other teams come out with a revised plan in the second half (like the Chicago Bears did on Sunday), the Steelers struggle to adjust on the fly.
Roethlisberger has mentioned this many times over the last couple of seasons on his podcast. He discussed it in late October after they lost to the Green Bay Packers. They led that game 16-7 at the half. He also discussed a growing issue at the end of last season in depth, noting that players spent time on their cell phones during halftime rather than crafting a plan of action for the second half of play.
Whatever the issue may be, the proof is in the pudding. The results clearly show it. The Steelers have only outscored their opponents in the second half in four of their 11 games this season. They led at halftime in three of their five losses. Overall, they’ve been outscored 155-129 in the second half of all games.
The Steelers have one of the league’s most expensive defenses. How can a 10-point lead not feel safe at halftime?
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