Steelers 2019 offense among most impotent for franchise over past half-century

We knew the Pittsburgh Steelers offense this past season was bad. But how bad? One of the worst since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger.

Without Antonio Brown (traded), Le’Veon Bell (free agency) and Ben Roethlisberger (injury in Week 2), the Steelers finished 30^th in the NFL in yards (276.8 per game) and 27^th in points (18.1). Never before had a Steelers team finished worse than 28^th in the NFL in yardage, and only once had one finished lower than 27^th in points.

Of course, accounting for expansion, it’s more accurate to say the Steelers finished with the NFL’s third-worst offense and scored the league’s sixth-fewest points. Since 1970, the only Steelers teams to rank lower relative to the rest of the league were the 1989 Steelers (dead last in yardage) and the 1998 Steelers (third-worst in points).

2019 was the first Mike Tomlin season in which the Steelers had a negative point differential (minus-14)

It was only the 2nd Steelers season they scored fewer than they gave up since the turn of the century, only their 4th in 28 post-Chuck Noll seasons, only their 9th since 1972

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) January 3, 2020

The individual anti-superlatives go back about two decades in their futility. The Steelers leaders in passing yardage, passing touchdowns, catches, receiving touchdowns and rushing yardage all had their lowest totals since at least 2000.

Passing yards

2019 leader: Mason Rudolph (1,765)

Fewest since: Mike Tomczak, 1999 (1,625)

Passing touchdowns

2019 leader: Rudolph (13)

Fewest since: Kordell Stewart, 2000 (11)

Receiving yards

2019 leader: James Washington (735)

Fewest since: Bobby Shaw and Hines Ward, 2000 (672)

Receptions

2019 leader: Diontae Johnson (59)

Fewest since: Ward, 2000 (48)

Rushing yards

2019 leader: James Conner (464)

Fewest since: Don Shy, 1967 (341)

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