Ben Roethlisberger returned to the Pittsburgh lineup on Sunday after suffering a knee injury in Week 6. Unfortunately for the Steelers, his presence hasn’t done much to boost an anemic offense.
The Steelers offense has been historically inept in one half against the Ravens
Pittsburgh rolled up 67 yards of total offense to trail Baltimore 10-0 at the break.
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Roethlisberger was held to just 50 passing yards and an inefficient 3.6 yards per pass as the Steelers trailed the Baltimore Ravens 10-0 at halftime. Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh’s All-Pro tailback, was even worse. He’s gained just 17 yards on nine carries. The Ravens have outgained Pittsburgh by nearly a 4-1 margin so far despite leading by only two possessions.
That combination has the team on pace for just 134 yards in Baltimore. If the Steelers can’t jump start their offense, it stands to be the team’s worst performance since 2010 when Pittsburgh mustered just 127 yards of total offense in a Week 2 victory over Tennessee.
While the team’s offense hasn’t been doing much, its special teams unit has had quite the workout.
Pittsburgh has yet to find success on third down, failing on all seven of its conversion attempts.
The Steelers’ slow start also puts Antonio Brown’s receiving streak in jeopardy. The All-Pro has caught at least four passes for 39 yards or more in each of his last 17 games. At halftime, he’d hauled in just one reception for 5 yards.
A Pittsburgh loss would put the AFC North up for grabs. The Steelers and Ravens would have identical records atop the division at 4-4, while Cincinnati would stand only a half-game behind at 3-4-1.
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