Week seven was a crucial week for the Pittsburgh Steelers to say the least. After their big victory over the Kansas City Chiefs last week, the possibility of a let down was imminent. Pittsburgh could ill-afford a let down however, with their division rival Cincinnati Bengals coming into town. The Bengals had looked to be improving since the start of the season, progressively getting better. Pittsburgh needed a strong follow up performance from last week and got one. The Steelers defeated the Bengals 29-14 with strong defensive play and a solid offensive game plan.
Week Seven Pittsburgh Steelers Takeaways
Entering the 2017 season, the main question facing the Pittsburgh Steelers was whether the defense could improve. Looking at the numbers, it certainly has. Pittsburgh currently has the fourth best total defense in the NFL. This is backed by the number one (yes you read that right) pass defense in the league. Can this be attributed to the lack of elite quarterbacks the Steelers defense has faced? Maybe, but the defense does deserve credit. As they displayed yesterday, they are playing with the same level of aggression, just with more intelligence.
Improved Pass Defense
The pass defense continued to impress yesterday. Andy Dalton threw for just 140 yards while completing only 17 of 30 passes. Dalton was intercepted twice, once by Joe Haden and another by William Gay. Haden finally got his first interception of the year yesterday, but has showed a solid effort all year. His acquisition has sparked a secondary that has certainly over achieved seven games into the season.
Run Defense Coming On
While the pass defense has over achieved, the run defense has under achieved. This is due in large part to the quality running backs Pittsburgh has faced. Yet, the run defense looked great yesterday against Cincinnati, giving up only 71 yards on the ground. Look for the run defense to improve as the year goes on, and hopefully the pass defense can continue to surprise.
Offensive Approach
The biggest key to Pittsburgh’s recent success has been a shift in the offensive approach. Much different from week five when Pittsburgh threw 55 times, the offense is now run heavy. The offense is productive on the ground and through the air with this approach. Le’Veon Bell has shown he can handle the workload. More importantly, Ben Roethlisberger has been thriving with less pressure. If Pittsburgh can continue to possess the ball and run with authority, they will be tough to beat in the late months of the year.
One Concern
One major concern that faces the Pittsburgh Steelers moving forward is their red zone offense. Pittsburgh reached the red zone six times in Sunday’s contest, and only one of those trips ended in a touchdown. The offense clearly moved the ball well, accumulating 420 yards of offense. However, many drives stalled beyond the Bengals 20 yard line, resulting in five Chris Boswell field goals. If Pittsburgh can learn to use their offensive momentum to finish drives, they will further improve offensively.
Looking Ahead
Overall, this was a very strong team win that was a great follow up to last week’s victory. Pittsburgh is now two games ahead of the field in the loss column in the AFC North. They also possess a win over each team in the division. The Steelers are in a good spot entering week eight, when they face the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. Detroit is coming off a bye week, and will look to get back on a winning track. If Pittsburgh can continue their trend of strong defense and possession, they will come out victorious on Sunday night.
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