With the big unexpected mid-season change at offensive coordinator, there is some optimism that several struggles on offense could change as well. Today, I wanted to explore one of these issues, explosive plays (20-plus yards) through 2023 thus far, which has been problematic on both sides of the ball:
Very telling visual for the Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 season, as well as the upcoming matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Both AFC North squads are one of just five teams that are well below the mean on offense and defense. Pittsburgh ranks 25th in explosive plays on offense with 30, thanks to nine on the ground which ties for fourth-best in the NFL, and the 21 passing explosive plays tying for a much lower 27th.