The Pittsburgh Steelers are officially out. After a season that felt like a decade-long rollercoaster, the final numbers are in, and honestly, they tell a story that doesn't quite match the headlines you’re seeing on social media.
If you just looked at the AFC North standings today, you'd see a first-place finish. You'd see a 10-7 record. On paper, that’s a successful year. But if you’re actually digging into the pittsburgh steelers stats today, you start to see where the wheels fell off.
The 30-6 Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans this past Monday wasn't just a fluke. It was the culmination of statistical red flags that have been waving since October.
The Aaron Rodgers Experiment: By the Numbers
When Omar Khan brought in Aaron Rodgers, the hope was for a high-octane transformation. Instead, we got a "game manager plus." Rodgers finished the regular season with 3,322 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.
Decent? Sure.
Elite? Not really.
His 65.7% completion rate is respectable, but his average of 6.7 yards per attempt tells the real story. The offense was horizontal. It was safe. It was, at times, incredibly frustrating to watch. In that final playoff drubbing, Rodgers threw for a measly 146 yards. No touchdowns. One pick. When the lights were brightest at Acrisure Stadium, the passing game went dark.
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The receiving corps had its own weird statistical identity. DK Metcalf led the team with 850 yards and 6 touchdowns, but he only had two catches in the playoff loss. Think about that. Your WR1 disappears when the season is on the line. Meanwhile, Kenneth Gainwell quietly became a reception machine out of the backfield, hauling in 73 catches.
Pittsburgh Steelers Stats Today: Defensive Reality Check
We always hear about the "Steel Curtain," but the 2025-2026 version was more like a beaded curtain in some games.
T.J. Watt finished with 7 sacks. For most human beings, that’s a great year. For T.J. Watt, it’s a career low when you consider his usual standard. Alex Highsmith actually outpaced him with 9.5 sacks, while Nick Herbig chipped in 7.5. The team total of 31 sacks is… well, it’s middle of the pack.
The real bright spot? The linebackers.
- Payton Wilson: 126 total tackles (team leader)
- Patrick Queen: 120 total tackles
- Jalen Ramsey: 88 tackles and 3 sacks
Payton Wilson is a star. Period. He played 74 solo tackles and was everywhere. But the defense as a whole allowed 360.8 yards per game, ranking them 28th in the league. You cannot win in January when you're giving up that much real estate every Sunday.
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The Ground Game and the "Tush Push"
Jaylen Warren is the undisputed heartbeat of this backfield now. He finished the year with 958 rushing yards on 211 carries, averaging 4.5 yards a pop. He’s the guy who keeps the chains moving. Kenneth Gainwell added 537 yards of his own, making for a solid one-two punch that actually ranked 13th in the league for rushing yards allowed by opponents (115.9/game).
Wait, did you catch the Week 18 drama against the Ravens?
The Steelers used Cameron Heyward—yes, the defensive tackle—to help push his brother Connor Heyward in a "tush push" style play. It worked once for a touchdown, but they failed on another 4th-and-1 attempt. It’s that kind of experimental football that defined the Mike Tomlin/Arthur Smith era this year. Some of it was brilliant; some of it was just weird.
Special Teams: The Chris Boswell Factor
Chris Boswell remains the most consistent thing in Pittsburgh. He was 27 for 32 on field goals this year. However, even the "Wizard of Boz" had a human moment in the regular-season finale against Baltimore. He missed an extra point.
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Luckily, the Ravens’ rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yarder at the buzzer, which is the only reason the Steelers even won the division. Without that miss, the Steelers are a 9-8 wildcard team instead of division champs.
What Happens Next?
The stats don't lie: this team has lost its last six playoff games. That’s a streak going back to 2016. Mike Tomlin has his winning season streak intact, but the city is getting restless.
The offense averaged only 22.4 points per game (17th in the NFL). In a league that’s increasingly dominated by high-scoring units like Houston and New England, 22 points isn't going to cut it. The turnover margin of +12 was elite, but when you don't turn those takeaways into touchdowns, the math eventually catches up to you.
Actionable Insights for the Offseason:
- Address the D-Line Age: Cam Heyward is still a leader (78 tackles), but the pass rush needs a youth injection to help Watt.
- Fix the Vertical Game: A 6.7 yards-per-pass average won't scare anyone in 2026. They need a deep threat who can consistently take the top off a defense.
- Third Down Efficiency: The Steelers converted only 38.39% of third downs this year. That’s 21st in the league. You can't sustain drives with those numbers.
The 2025-2026 season is in the books. The lockers are cleared out. While the "1st in AFC North" title looks good on a t-shirt, the underlying metrics suggest a team that is stuck in the middle—too good to draft a superstar QB, but not explosive enough to beat the AFC’s elite.