It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ vertical passing game hasn’t existed this season. Despite an offseason of upgrades in QB Aaron Rodgers, WR DK Metcalf, and TE Jonnu Smith, the offense has continued to do its work short and underneath. If Russell Wilson, a year ago, was 3-pointers and layups, the 2025 Steelers are truly a layup line.

The eye test doesn’t just show that. The numbers back it up. Our Clayton Eckert put together data showing each team’s pass attempts of 15-plus air yards this season entering Week 12 (so excluding Thursday night’s game between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans). Pittsburgh sits at the bottom.

Here are the top five best and worst.

Pass Attempts Of 15-Plus Air Yards

1. Broncos – 80
2. Vikings – 79
3. Bears – 79
4. Falcons – 79
5. Patriots – 77
5. Rams – 77

28. Lions – 50
28. Dolphins – 50
30. Jets – 43
31. Raiders – 42
32. Steelers – 41

Pittsburgh’s last with just 41 attempts, an average of 4.1 per game. That’s half the number of the NFL’s top teams.

That’s reflected in other numbers. Aaron Rodgers’ intended air yards per pass attempt is only 5.9. Easily the lowest in the era the figure has been tracked, 2018 to present. Rodgers has slowly seen his numbers fall from 8.0 in 2022, 6.8 in 2024 (he missed 2023 with his Achilles tear, remember), and 5.9 this season. His snap-to-throw times have been among the NFL’s quickest, too. Just 2.64 seconds, third-fastest entering Week 12 behind Davis Mills (2.56) and Tua Tagovailoa (2.58).

At receiver, DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III have the lowest ADOTs (average depth of target) of their careers. Pat Freiermuth is second-lowest, only beating out his rookie year. Ditto with Jonnu Smith, only topping his forgettable 2022 season in New England.

The Steelers have simply lacked explosive plays. The ones they’ve gotten have come from YAC, and it’s been a considerable area of improvement. But it’s dominated the offense when it should make up only a chunk of how Pittsburgh wins through the air.

These long drives have forced the offense to be perfect to sustain 10, 11, and 12-play drives. A false start, dropped pass, or sack can ruin it. The occasional long catch-and-run has brought some of the averages down, like DK Metcalf’s one-play, 80-yard score, and turnovers have created short fields that require fewer plays.

Sunday is another chance to show improvement. Chicago is ripe for the picking. The Bears enter the week allowing as many explosive pass plays as any other team in the NFL, 38 through ten games.

Pittsburgh’s current model of offensive success may be more effective than past years, the running game has came along, the pass game is putting the ball in the end zone, but it remains too-similar to what’s tripped the team up in the past. Struggling to beat heavyweights, unable to get over the playoff hump, partly because the offense can’t put up points in a quick fashion. Finding more big plays in the passing game is the solution.