The Steelers lean all the way into what they call “turnover culture”, complete with merchandise, but it’s a fickle mistress. This season, they are 5-0 when they win the turnover battle and 1-5 when they don’t. Their only win without a turnover surplus was against the Browns, with neither team taking the ball away.
Missed opportunities have defined some of the Steelers’ recent losses, with new S Kyle Dugger missing multiple chances for game-altering turnovers. While he had a pick-six a week ago, he has dropped others. That includes one on Sunday that would have, at least, spared three points at the end of the first half. Ben Roethlisberger has seen this show before, and he doesn’t like it.
“I really like the way [Kyle Dugger] and [Jalen] Ramsey are playing in the back end. I like the way he’s allowing Ramsey to get down in the box”, Roethlisberger prefaced on his Footbahlin podcast, talking about the Steelers’ reliance on winning the turnover battle. “He had an interception chance at the end of the half. Dropped it”.
The Dugger failed takeaway opportunity came on the Steelers’ final defensive possession of the first half. The Bears ended up extending the drive and kicking a field goal. Given that the Steelers ultimately lost by three points, that shows how thin the margins can be.
“That’s a big three points”, Roethlisberger said. “This team lives, breathes, and dies by the turnover. By the splash turnover. You look at our big wins and that’s what’s happened. When you have an opportunity to get one, this team that thrives on those has to get that”.
The Steelers did force two turnovers, one of which culminated in a defensive touchdown. The other one saw the offense eventually turn the ball over on downs. Conversely, the Bears turned both of their takeaways into touchdowns. And they also produced a touchdown off that turnover on downs, doubling the insult to the injury.
The Steelers have only won the turnover battle in two of their past six games, and those are the only two games that they’ve won. The season is spiraling out of control because they simply can’t do what is necessary without these difference-making plays. At least, they haven’t proven that they can otherwise.
In fact, in four of the Steelers’ six wins, they have won the turnover battle by plus-two or better. And only two of them resulted in a scoring margin greater than a single possession.
You can listen to Mike Tomlin preach the turnover culture, and it is successful, to an extent, for the Steelers. But you see the results when they don’t come through, which makes missed opportunities like Dugger’s drop so galling. When it’s the only way that you can even find a way to win, it puts a lot of pressure on every chance you can get.
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