Offense Isn’t Bad but It Could Be Better

by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published November, 2025, 5:09 PM

PITTSBURGH, PA – Ten weeks into the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense sits squarely in the middle of the NFL pack, ranking 16th in points per game at 23.6 a modest uptick from last year’s 22.4. It’s progress, but not quite enough to quiet the frustration of a fan base watching the unit sputter in stretches where opportunities slip away.

When asked Wednesday what he’s learned about his group at the halfway point, what he genuinely likes and what still needs developing offensive coordinator Arthur Smith offered a candid midseason snapshot of where the Steelers stand.

“I like the resiliency of this group,” Smith said. “It’s a selfless group I’ve said that many times and that gives you a chance. In games like Sunday night, with all the ebb and flow, even late we put together a long drive. You’ve still got guys out there battling and helping.

“But it’s the NFL. You’ve got another team trying to steal one, and we didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. We get down there on the screen, had a chance to cut it to five with plenty of time, and that’s just not the way it went.”

That moment, a late drive that unraveled just before it became meaningful mirrors the larger theme of this offense: signs of growth, tangible flashes of progress, but not enough sustained execution to ease the tension around Pittsburgh.

And that tension is real.

You don’t need to scroll far through social media or sit in a sports bar to hear it or, in my case, even check my own group text. A thread of lifelong Steelers fans I talk football with guys who’ve lived through the highs, lows, and every false start in between is filled with aggravation most Sundays.

These dear friends, sit in anguish each week, living on hopes that a miracle change is upon this franchise that once was the standard, now the narrative of finishing above .500 is the measure of success the fanbase can take most pride in.  

They watch the offense stumble through stretches, scratching their heads while Smith calls the group “resilient.”

To them, resilience looks good on paper. But resilience without results? That tests patience in a city that measures offenses by finishing drives, not almosts.

Still, Smith maintains that the unit has answered pressure when it mattered.

“Overall, I think this group has made plays in big moments,” he said. “But there’s ongoing work. Every season, you can start out hot. Here we are at the halfway point with an opportunity Sunday, and we’ve got to continue to improve.”

It’s a fair assessment. The offense isn’t broken. It isn’t elite. It’s somewhere in between capable of moving the ball, capable of scoring, but too often leaving yardage, points, and momentum on the turf.

For a team hanging just outside the league’s upper tier in scoring, the path forward is straightforward. Keep the resilience Smith sees, sharpen the execution fans crave, and finish the drives that have been left unfinished.

Because resilience matters.

But in Pittsburgh, results matter more.

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com