by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published October 19, 2026, 9:49 AM
2026 vs. 2025
The Steelers spent an offseason changing the people responsible for producing results, only to discover that six games into 2026, their record and scoring margin look nearly identical to the previous year.
McCarthy’s offense is moving the football more effectively but scoring less. Patrick Graham’s defense has made legitimate strides, particularly against the pass.
Yet Pittsburgh remains 4-2, sharing the AFC North’s top record with two division rivals. It’s not a failure, nor is it proof of a renaissance. The Steelers have changed the machinery. They’re still waiting for the finished product to look different.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS • FIRST SIX GAMES
|
Category |
2025 |
2026 |
|
Record |
4-2 |
4-2 |
|
AFC North Standing |
1st |
2nd |
|
Points Scored |
150 |
137 |
|
Points Allowed |
140 |
128 |
|
Points Per Game |
25.0 |
22.8 |
|
Points Allowed/Game |
23.3 |
21.3 |
|
Point Differential |
+10 |
+9 |
Quick hit: McCarthy’s Steelers are scoring fewer points and allowing fewer points. Strip away the coaching change and Pittsburgh’s overall production is remarkably similar. A one-point difference in scoring margin after six games is about as close as it gets.
OFFENSIVE COMPARISON
|
Category |
2025 |
2026 |
|
Total Yards |
1,785 |
1,923 |
|
Yards/Game |
297.5 |
320.5 |
|
Passing Yards |
1,218 |
1,328 |
|
Passing Yards/Game |
203.0 |
221.3 |
|
Rushing Yards |
567 |
595 |
|
Rushing Yards/Game |
94.5 |
99.2 |
|
Points/Game |
25.0 |
22.8 |
Offensive quick hits
- More yards, fewer points: McCarthy’s offense is gaining 23 additional yards per game while scoring 2.2 fewer points. Movement between the 20s means little without finishing drives.
- Passing improvement: Pittsburgh has added 110 passing yards through six games, hardly an offensive revolution but measurable progress.
- Running game: Pittsburgh is averaging just 4.7 additional rushing yards per game. Despite Jaylen Warren’s recent production, the overall ground game remains modest.
- The McCarthy effect: The offense has improved statistically in yardage but regressed on the scoreboard. That’s a distinction worth examining before declaring the new system an upgrade.
DEFENSIVE COMPARISON
|
Category |
2025 |
2026 |
|
Points Allowed |
140 |
128 |
|
Points Allowed/Game |
23.3 |
21.3 |
|
Total Yards Allowed |
2,248 |
1,845 |
|
Yards Allowed/Game |
374.7 |
307.5 |
|
Passing Yards Allowed |
1,553 |
1,226 |
|
Passing Yards Allowed/Game |
258.8 |
204.3 |
|
Rushing Yards Allowed |
695 |
619 |
|
Rushing Yards Allowed/Game |
115.8 |
103.2 |
|
Takeaways |
12 |
10 |
Defensive quick hits
- Graham’s fingerprints: Pittsburgh is allowing 67.2 fewer yards per game than it did through six games under Teryl Austin in 2025. That’s a significant improvement.
- Secondary upgrade: Opponents are averaging 54.5 fewer passing yards per game. That’s the most convincing statistical argument for Pittsburgh’s defensive makeover.
- Run defense: Pittsburgh has reduced its rushing yards allowed by 12.7 per game. Not spectacular, but improvement nonetheless.
- Takeaways: Interestingly, Tomlin’s 2025 defense forced two more turnovers through six games despite allowing substantially more yardage.
- The bigger picture: Graham has improved the defense’s ability to limit yardage, but the two-point improvement in scoring defense is considerably smaller.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
