For all of the progress the Pittsburgh Steelers offense has made in the first half of the past two games, getting production once the third quarter kicks off remains a season-long issue.
Whatever momentum the Steelers seem to build in the opening 30 minutes dissipates after intermission. The Steelers have scored 19 points in the third quarter during their 4-7 start. Only the Denver Broncos, with 12 points, have scored fewer. The lone touchdown came in Week 4 against the New York Jets on a drive that covered all of 4 yards.
Since that game, the Steelers have gotten three field goals in the third quarter, including one against the Cincinnati Bengals on a drive that didn’t net a single first down. The lack of points in the third quarter is one reason the Steelers have the third-worst points differential in the NFL.
At minus-67, the Steelers trail only the 1-8-1 Houston Texans (minus-86) and 3-8 Los Angeles Rams (minus-75). The biggest deficit can be found in the third quarter when the Steelers have been outscored by 33 points.
Offensive coordinator Matt Canada doesn’t have an answer for the second-half slow starts, but he echoed the sentiments of quarterback Kenny Pickett, who said getting that initial first down of the second half seems to break the logjam.
“Getting that first first down is a big deal,” Canada said Thursday. “Then we were OK after that. I don’t have any magic. It’s happened, and we can’t let it happen. We have to make those plays and get going. We did a good job in the first half.”
The Steelers pieced together their two most productive first halves in the 37-30 loss to Cincinnati and the 24-14 victory against Indianapolis. In each game, the Steelers got points on four of their first possessions in the half. The Steelers totaled 212 first-half yards against the Bengals and 232 against the Colts.
Now, the challenge is extending that success beyond intermission.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” Canada said. “We’re still not a finished product. We’re still leaving points out there, leaving plays out there. We’re working and evolving and trying to minimize those plays.
“As a general trend, we’re running the ball better, doing some things better which is opening up options in the passing game.”
