Assessing the Biggest Weakness of Each 2016 NFL Playoff Team
Pittsburgh Steelers: Road Performance
This one's a little bit different from the others partially because the Steelers don't have many blatant weaknesses. They're 21st against the pass and 15th against the rush, so while defense isn't a strength, it's not what figures to hold them back. Their performance on the road, however, could.
This table shows the splits of the Steelers based on where they're playing. Because Ben Roethlisberger is all healthy, only games in which he was the starter were included, meaning we have a sample of six games at home and eight on the road.
| Venue | Points Per Game | Yards Per Game | Scoring Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 30.50 | 414.83 | +10.67 |
| Road | 21.63 | 348.25 | +2.00 |
They still had a positive scoring differential on the road, but it didn't even sniff their performance at home. This is a well-known weakness for the Steelers, but the facts back up the narrative.
Obviously, this won't be an issue in the first round as they host the Dolphins. After that, though, they'll have to go on the road to face either the Kansas City Chiefs or the Patriots in the second round. If they do, expect heavier struggles for the Steelers' offense than they experience at home.
