The Pittsburgh Steelers are winning just enough to stay relevant, but the numbers make one thing very clear: this is not a sustainable way to survive in the NFL. If the Steelers want to make a real push and not just hang around the playoff picture, the offense has to stay on the field longer, run more plays, gain more yards, and commit to running the football — and doing it better.
Head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t dodge the issue this week. He addressed it head-on, and his message matched exactly what the stats are screaming.
Why Time of Possession Actually Matters
Tomlin pushed back against the idea that time of possession is an outdated stat, even though the Steelers are currently losing that battle almost every week.
“I certainly view it as important,” Tomlin said. “Good defenses spend a lot of time on the sideline… It’s the defense’s responsibility, it’s also the offense’s responsibility, if you want to wage the war of attrition.”
That “war of attrition” is where the Steelers are falling behind. Pittsburgh ranks last in the NFL in time of possession, holding the ball for just 26:58 per game. That means the defense is constantly being asked to bail the team out, play on short rest, and hold up late in games.
Eventually, that catches up to you.
The Offense Isn’t On the Field Nearly Enough
Time of possession connects directly to another major problem: the Steelers simply aren’t running enough offensive plays.
Through 13 games, Pittsburgh has totaled 742 offensive plays, which comes out to roughly 57 plays per game. No matter which data source you use, that number sits near the bottom of the league. The NFL average is much higher, and that gap matters.
Fewer plays mean fewer chances to score, fewer opportunities to control the game, and more pressure on a defense that already plays too many snaps.
This isn’t a fast, explosive offense making up for low volume. It’s a slow, grind-it-out unit that somehow still can’t stay on the field.
The Yardage Tells the Same Story
The yardage numbers only reinforce the problem.
The Steelers are averaging just 284.5 net yards per game, which ranks 27th out of 32 teams in the NFL. That’s not a playoff-caliber offense by any modern standard.
When you combine low yardage with low play volume, you get short drives, quick punts, and long stretches where the defense is stuck trying to survive. That’s exactly the cycle Tomlin was talking about when he said these issues are “not isolated.”
They’re all connected.
It All Comes Back to the Run Game
Tomlin made it clear where the solution starts.
“Oftentimes rushing and rush defense has a lot to do with that,” he said. “Certainly we haven’t run the ball recently as well as we’d like.”
Running the ball isn’t just about rushing yards. It’s about staying ahead of the chains, extending drives, controlling tempo, and giving your defense a break. Right now, the Steelers aren’t doing any of that consistently.
If Pittsburgh wants to fix time of possession, increase offensive plays, and boost total yardage, it starts with a real commitment to the run — not just in play-calling, but in execution.
The Bottom Line
The Steelers don’t need to reinvent themselves. They need to get back to the basics that Mike Tomlin clearly still believes in.
Hold the ball longer. Run more plays. Gain more yards. Run the football with purpose.
Until those things change, Pittsburgh will keep living on the edge, asking its defense to do too much, and hoping close games break their way. That’s not a formula for a deep run — and the head coach knows it.