Steelers Bettors Can't Bank on Their Defense Based on Key Stat
By Reed Wallach
The Pittsburgh Steelers miraculously made the postseason behind a wild Week 18, but will their run end quickly in the Wild Card round?
The Steelers are the biggest underdogs of the weekend, catching 12.5 points on Sunday against the two-time AFC Champions Kansas City Chiefs, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.
Pittsburgh has made waves over the last several weeks with a fearsome pass rush, anchored by T.J. Watt, who tied Michael Strahan's single season sack record this season with 22.5 sacks.
However, is this smoke and mirrors? Is the Steel Curtain due for some regression come the postseason?
Stats that surprise me for KC-PIT:
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) January 11, 2022
Steelers have 55 sacks (1st in NFL) but rank 18th in hurry rate, 25th in QB knockdown rate and 12th in pressure rate.
Conversely, the Chiefs are 30th in sacks but rank 3rd in hurry rate, 7th in QB knockdown rate and 5th in hurry rate.
This stat from FanSided's Matt Verderame is very indicative of the inconsistent Steelers defensive line. Basically, Pittsburgh has generated a low volume of pressure, but has been a bit lucky in terms of converting pressures into sacks. The team will have their hands full with Patrick Mahomes on the other sideline.
In the Week 16 matchup, the Steelers had two sacks on Mahomes in the 36-10 loss.
On the other side, the Chiefs are producing consistent pressure on the quarterback, just not finishing with a sack. Kansas City should give Ben Roethlisberger a ton of trouble with their pass rush considering 'Big Ben' is nearly immobile at this point and averaging just 6.2 yards per attempt.
Furthermore, Roethlisberger finished the year 26th in adjusted EPA/Play amongst quarterbacks. The next lowest amongst playoff quarterbacks was Jalen Hurts in 16th. Chris Jones and co. may be able to wrap up Roethlisberger early and often, especially when factoring in the big spread.
For more on this Wild Card showdown, check out our game preview HERE.