Steelers 2025 Bye Week

3 Steelers Stats That Should Make Fans Happy at the Bye Week

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NFL

The Steelers are 3-1 heading into the bye week, and for the first time in the post-Roethlisberger era, the recipe for winning is a little different than what Steeler fans have become accustomed to. I know, I know – they had a good start to the 2024 season and it all fell apart. But even though the sample size remains small, there are some key statistics fans should be happy about. They’re genuinely encouraging, in the midst of some of the things fans have been sounding the alarm on through the first four weeks of the 2025 season.

Red Zone Offense: Showing Efficiency 

Here’s the stat that should make every Steelers fan exhale with relief: 69.2% red zone efficiency through the first four games of 2025. That includes converting 9 of 13 red zone trips into touchdowns. For context, the 2024 team limped to a miserable 48.2% (29 TDs on 60 attempts), good for 29th in the league. The 2023 season was nearly identical 47.6% that started disastrously at 28.6% through Week 5.

The early 2025 numbers were even more encouraging – through Week 3, the Steelers were sitting at an absurd 87.5% (7 TDs on 8 attempts). Week 4 brought them back to earth a bit, but even with that decline, that is still about a 20+ percentage point jump from last season.

What’s driving this? Part of it is Arthur Smith’s scheme finally clicking, the offensive line getting better week-to-week and the addition of Aaron Rodgers knowing what to do pre-snap. You can see it in real time: more calculated play-action, better reads, guys getting open in the right spots and they are making timely plays.

Least Penalized Team in Football

So far, no yelling from Pittsburgh about the officials. The Steelers are committing just 4.75 penalties per game through the first quarter of 2025 – just 19 penalties total for 135 yards. Compare that to 2024, when the team averaged 6.06 penalties per game (109 total, 864 yards over 18 games including playoffs). That spike to over 6 per game ranked them tied for 10th – not terrible, but not disciplined enough in some tight matchups. The 2023 season saw a more controlled 5.06 per game (86 penalties, 753 yards).

Here’s what makes the 2025 numbers even more impressive: opponents are committing 6.00 penalties per game against Pittsburgh. That’s a positive penalty differential, which is exactly what you want when you’re winning the field position and momentum battles. The 2024 bump makes sense when you think about it – that was year one of Arthur Smith’s system, with a completely revamped QB room trying to learn new concepts. False starts (23) and offensive holding (19) were the biggest culprits.

Turnover Differential: Saving the Defense

Although the defense as a whole hasn’t looked impressive through the first four weeks, there is one thing that’s remained rock-solid. The defense’s ability to create chaos. It is the only way they were able to keep their winning season streak alive. The 2025 turnover differential sits at +7 through four games (10 takeaways, just 3 giveaways), with the defense splitting those takeaways perfectly: 5 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries.

If you want to add a sprinkle to this stat, zero fumbles lost on offense. Not one. Might be jinxing it as I type this. This continues a trend that defined 2024, when the Steelers posted a ridiculous +16 differential (33 takeaways against 17 giveaways), tied for 2nd in the league with the Lions. That “takeaway culture” has remained as the identity for this defense. T.J. Watt led the league with 5 forced fumbles last season, and the secondary was consistently making quarterbacks uncomfortable.

The 2023 season also finished at +7, proving this isn’t a fluke – it’s a philosophy. All seven wins that year came with a non-negative differential. When this defense gets its hands on the ball, good things happen. What’s changed in 2025 is the ball security on offense. No fumbles lost means the offense is holding up its end of the bargain. That’s partly coaching, partly personnel, and partly just not asking your QB to do too much. Whatever it is, it’s working.

After the Bye Week

Four games is a small sample size – we all know that. A 69.2% red zone conversion rate probably isn’t sustainable over a full season. The time of possession deficit might catch up with the defense eventually. And third down conversion still needs to improve. But here’s what we know for sure: this team is dramatically better in the red zone, more disciplined with penalties, elite at forcing turnovers, and gradually improving at moving the chains. Those are the building blocks of a playoff contender in the AFC. 

The bye week although early, comes at a perfect time. Some guys have to get back from injury and the coaching staff can refine what’s working, address what isn’t, and prepare for the stretch run with a healthier roster. The stats tell us this isn’t the same team that stumbled through 2023 and 2024 – this is a team coming into their identity, that they plan to execute better every week. For the first time since Ben Roethlisberger walked away, fans are seeing a different variation of a winning recipe. One that doesn’t make the first round wild card exit obvious. Being said, there is still a long way to go, and these are the type of things worth building on when they’re back in action after the bye week.

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