Four Downs: Steelers games feature an abundance of 3-and-outs, punts

1. Three-and-rout

Games involving the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020 have featured more punts and more three-and-outs than games involving any other NFL team this season. And it’s not close.

The Steelers offense leads the league in three-and-outs (47), as defined by possessions that fail to get a first down and result in a punt, according to pro-football-reference.com. According to footballoutsiders.com, 27.5% of Steelers’ possessions end that way.

The flip side of that is the Steelers’ defense is forcing three-and-outs at a higher rate than any other team (28.4%). Incredibly, that’s more than 31% more often than the rate of any other AFC team (Denver ranks second in the conference at 21.6%). No NFL defense in any of the past three seasons forced three-and-outs at a rate the 2020 Steelers have.

Putting both teams together through the 15 Steelers’ games this season, almost 28% of all possessions end in the tedious fashion of three middling plays and a punt. It should come as no surprise, then, that Steelers games have featured more punts than any other team’s games this season.

Opponents have punted 78 times this season, tied with the Los Angeles Rams for most in the NFL and comfortably ahead of the AFC team that has forced the second-most punts (Miami’s 62). The Steelers offense is second in punts itself with 74, trailing only the 2-13 New York Jets in that category (77 punts).

2. Right ends

Be it reality or maybe just Rob Gronkowski-related perception, the Steelers for years have had a reputation of being incapable of defending opposing tight ends. Whether that was true is debatable, but what isn’t is in 2020 it most certainly is not the case.

No team has allowed fewer receiving yards against by tight ends. Only one team has allowed fewer touchdowns against by tight ends, and only two teams have allowed fewer catches by tight ends than the Steelers.

According to pro-football-reference.com, the Steelers and New England are the only teams to allow as few as two tight end touchdowns this season. Only San Francisco (455 yards) has allowed fewer opponent tight end receiving yards than the Steelers’ 588. And only the 49ers (51) and Detroit (56) have allowed fewer tight end receptions than the Steelers (58, tied with Green Bay).

3. Better than Watt?!

T.J. Watt is a legitimate candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

His raw, rookie bookend edge rusher has matched his level of play in recent weeks.

While it in no way should be interpreted that Alex Highsmith is Watt’s equal, even among the small sample size, Highsmith approached Watt’s pass-rush production over the past two games. Highsmith was credited by the NFL with more QB hits than Watt (three to two) combined over the Steelers’ games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts. And, according to Pro Football Focus, Highsmith has more “pressures” (defined by PFF as the aggregate of sacks, hits and hurries of opposing quarterbacks), 6-5.

Highsmith had more tackles (13) than Watt (seven) over the past two games (albeit they were tied in solo tackles with seven, and four of Watt’s were for loss and none of Highsmith’s were).

PFF also, subjectively, graded Highsmith as the better player in each of the past two games.

It suggests the Steelers might be able to let Bud Dupree walk as a free agent and feel comfortable with Highsmith as a cheap replacement.

4. Going deep

NFL Next Gen Stats had a nice breakdown of stark differences between the first and second halves of Sunday’s Steelers win, particularly with how it related to the much-discussed Ben Roethlisberger downfield ball.

Roethlisberger struggled throwing downfield in the first half. But in the second half, Roethlisberger had a 149.3 passer rating on balls thrown 10 or more yards downfield (6 for 9 for 133 yards and two touchdowns).