PHI
CHIPittsburgh win 30‑27: the offence moved the ball, but the defence got pushed around
Week 3, vs Cincinnati. Explosive-play rate ranked 3rd of 32 this week; EPA per play allowed ranked 30th. Here's what the data says happened.
The Steelers beat Cincinnati 30-27 in week 3. As a fan I'd like to tell you it was all one thing. The numbers say it wasn't, so here's the game broken down the same way we'd break down anyone else's: protection, who got open, the calls, the drives, and the defence.
Protection
PFR's pressure charting for week 3 hasn't landed yet, so this section leans on play-by-play: 8 of 36 dropbacks ended in a hit or a sack.
A.Rodgers: EPA per dropback, clean vs hit or sacked (week 3)
Who got open, and where the ball went
| Player | Tgt | Sep (yd) | Catch % | Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Wilson | 6 | 1.6 | 50% | 60 |
| Michael Pittman | 5 | 2.3 | 40% | 16 |
| DK Metcalf | 5 | 3.1 | 60% | 31 |
Targets vs separation (Next Gen Stats, week 3; league average separation 3.0 yd)
On 36 charted passes, A.Rodgers threw to his first read 39% of the time (league 47%) and checked down on 8% (league 12%). Play action was used on 10% of snaps (league 11%), worth +1.17 EPA per pass against -0.03 without it. FTN charted 1 interception-worthy throw and 3 drops.
The calls and the drives
In neutral situations (early downs, within a score, first three quarters) Pittsburgh threw on 66% of plays (league 53%). Passes were worth +0.24 EPA and runs +0.13. 25% of third downs were 7+ yards to go (league 46%) — so early downs mostly kept them on schedule; the problem was converting.
10 drives, 5 trips inside the 20, 60% of them finished with a touchdown (league 58%). Drive endings: 3 touchdowns, 3 field goals, 2 end of half, 1 turnover.
The defence
Cincinnati managed +0.28 EPA per play against us (30th of 32 defences this week), converted 50% of third downs, and we got 1 sack and 1 takeaway. Season to date the offence ranks 30th and the defence 12th of 32 by EPA per play.
Who won the matchups
DK Metcalf against Cincinnati: Cincinnati won it. Metcalf held to 31 yards on 5 targets, against his usual 54.
T.J. Watt against Cincinnati: Even. Watt had 1 combined sack and QB hit, about his usual 1.4.
Ja'Marr Chase against Pittsburgh: Chase won it. 98 yards on 12 targets, above his usual 87.
EPA per play allowed: +0.28 this week, 30th of 32 (league +0.01). Cleveland rank 22nd of 32 in offensive EPA per play so far (-0.06, league +0.01). Get off the field on early downs and make them earn it through the air. Red-zone TD rate: 60% this week, 16th of 32 (league 58%). Cleveland rank 8th of 32 in red-zone TD rate allowed so far (55%, league 62%). Finish drives. Field goals from inside the 20 are points left on the table.
Not available when this was drafted: PFR pressure charting for week 3. Those sections use play-by-play instead.
Sources: nflverse play-by-play; PFR advanced passing; Next Gen Stats; FTN charting. Every number here comes straight from our pipeline.
