The Pittsburgh Steelers have solely turned the ball over 11 occasions this 12 months, among the many fewest within the league. Even with a pick-six, they’ve additionally solely allowed 10 factors off of turnovers, which is fairly outstanding. Nevertheless it’s additionally not an accident, in response to DC Teryl Austin.
“Yeah, I believe it’s actually only a mindset”, Austin stated of the Steelers’ success retaining factors off the board following turnovers. “Each time we step on the sphere, turnover or not, we don’t need them to attain. There’s at all times a heightened sense of urgency when there’s a sudden change. I believe our guys have dealt with that actually nicely”.
It helps the protection to have an offense that protects the soccer nicely. Whereas the Steelers rank simply exterior the highest 10 in avoiding giveaways, they not often lose the turnover margin. In some way, they’ve managed to lose twice with a plus-two turnover differential, however that’s one other matter. You would definitely nonetheless take your possibilities in that situation.
They misplaced a kind of two video games with a plus-two turnover differential, that includes factors off of turnovers allowed. A couple of weeks again, the Browns managed a subject objective off of 1 takeaway, even when the Steelers got here again to steer earlier than blowing the sport. Per week later, the Bengals recorded a pick-six early within the sport, even when it was extremely questionable.
Conversely, the Steelers have achieved a reasonably good job of turning their league-leading 28 takeaways into factors. Final week, they scored a landing off an interception, for instance, arrange in subject objective vary. Per week earlier, they managed a subject objective and, the week earlier than, a landing. However they might do higher. They might do higher, as they’ve achieved higher on the defensive facet.
“I bear in mind a pair years in the past we weren’t so good at that”, Austin recalled of the Steelers beforehand having points permitting factors off of turnovers. “We didn’t take the sphere with the thought we had been going to get them. I believe this time, our guys don’t care. They put that ball down anyplace, we’re going to cease them. That’s a very good feeling once you ship guys out like that”.
Broadly, the Steelers rank within the prime 10 in factors and yards allowed. As acknowledged, they rank first in takeaways, however their capacity to maintain factors off the board when groups discover the ball is simply as necessary.
The Steelers have additionally managed to search out the ball themselves at opportune moments, even when scoring isn’t most popular. Once more, final week, on their remaining takeaway, they arrange in Victory Formation within the purple zone. They might have gotten factors there, however they didn’t have to.
