PITTSBURGH _ The Steelers had their off week unexpectedly thrust upon them Thursday when the NFL postponed their game in Tennessee until later in the season due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Titans organization. It's the earliest off week for the Steelers since the 2012 season when their opponent after the bye was the Eagles, the same team that visits Heinz Field next week.
The Steelers also had a Week 4 off week in 2005, the year they won Super Bowl XL. Not only did they play 13 consecutive games to end the regular season, but due to finishing as the No. 6 seed in the AFC, they had to play 17 consecutive weeks before hoisting the Lombardi trophy.
How the 2020 season unfolds is anyone's guess, but the Steelers are in first place in the AFC North. They're 3-0 entering their bye and some important numbers tell the story why:
54 _ The Steelers-Titans game was going to be one of the marquee matchups of the early NFL season. They are two of the remaining unbeaten teams in the league and considered strong contenders in the AFC. NFL fans also were denied seeing the NFL's leading rusher go against the NFL's top-ranked run defense. Derrick Henry leads the league with 319 yards and was picking up right where he left off last season when he led the league during the regular season and in the playoffs _ with a total of 1,986 yards in 18 games. The Steelers struggled to defend the run late last season, which was one of the main reasons they lost three in a row and missed the playoffs. In the regular-season finale in Baltimore, the Ravens rushed for 223 yards in a 28-10 beat-down at M&T Bank Stadium, and they did it with their backups because they were resting their starters after already clinching the top seed in the AFC the previous week. There was no Lamar Jackson or Mark Ingram running down the guts of the Steelers defense. It was Robert Griffin III, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill who did all the damage. That left a bad taste in the mouths of the coaches who made improving the run defense one of the top emphases of the offseason. The Steelers enter their off week No. 1 in the league against the run. They are allowing just 54 yards per game and held two of their first three opponents to 29 yards. The Steelers can still test their run defense in the coming weeks. Eagles running back Miles Sanders will bring his 5.0 yards-per-carry average into Heinz Field next week. The following week, the Steelers play host to the Browns and running back Nick Chubb, who is averaging 5.7 yards per carry and 97 yards a game.
1 _ Ben Roethlisberger's touchdown-to-interception ratio is 7-1 after three games, his best ratio to start a season since 2012 when he threw eight touchdowns and only one interception in the first three games. The 2012 season wasn't a successful one for the Steelers, who finished 8-8, but it was one of Roethlisberger's best in terms of turnovers. For the season, Roethlisberger threw just eight interceptions in 13 games. The only other season when he took care of the ball better was 2010 when he threw just five interceptions in 12 games. Roethlisberger has thrown fewer than 10 interceptions in a season four times in his career. He threw nine in 2005 and 2014.
5.6 _ James Conner might not get another contract with the Steelers, but if he stays healthy, he is on pace to surpass the numbers he posted during his Pro Bowl season in 2018. It's early, but Conner is on pace for 1,531 scrimmage yards _ 1,195 rushing and 336 receiving. He has 224 yards on 40 carries for a 5.6 yards-per-carry average. In 2018, he had 1,470 scrimmage yards _ 973 rushing and 497 receiving. Conner's resurgence has helped the Steelers rank among the top 10 rushing teams in the league early in the season. That's a far cry from where they finished last season when they finished 29th in the league, averaging just 90.4 yards per game. So far this season the Steelers are averaging 138 yards a game. Team president Art Rooney II wanted a more efficient running game, and he's getting it.
15 _ The Steelers are off to a fast start as they attempt to lead the NFL in sacks for a third consecutive year. T.J. Watt has 3{ of the team's league-leading 15 sacks, but nine players have at least a half sack. The first three games have reminded some of the old Blitzburgh days of the 1990s. The sacks are coming from everywhere. Cornerback Mike Hilton and inside linebacker Vince Williams have as many sacks as defensive end Stephon Tuitt. The 1994 Blitzburgh-era Steelers set the team record for sacks in a season with 55. The 2017 defense broke the record and finished with 56, which remains the franchise record. The NFL record for sacks in a season is 72 by the Chicago Bears in 1984.
19 _ Speaking of Hilton, has a slot cornerback ever led his team in tackles? Taking a wild guess that the answer is no, but through three games, Hilton is doing just that for the Steelers. He has 19 while inside linebacker Devin Bush and safety Terrell Edmunds have 13 apiece. It's a pace he's unlikely to maintain given the number of run-heavy teams the Steelers will face later in the season. But it is one facet of a versatile skill set that Hilton offers. Most slot corners are one-dimensional. They're smaller and quicker defensive backs that play on the inside and excel in coverage. Hilton holds his own in coverage (see his interception of Deshaun Watson that set up the winning touchdown Sunday), but he makes his biggest impact in run support and the blitz game. His two sacks are tied for second on the team, and he has 8{ since entering the league in 2017.
