In this week’s “3-and-Out” article, we look at how the Steelers relied on a winning formula on offense and some guys “off the couch” on defense to earn a 17-10 win over the Ravens and a date in the AFC playoffs next weekend at Buffalo.

Tried-and-true

Since benching Mitchell Trubisky late in their disheartening loss in Indianapolis and replacing him with Mason Rudolph, the Steelers have leaned heavily on a familiar formula that has, at various times over the years, come to define their offense: pound the football, don’t turn it over, and be great in the fourth quarter.

That recipe catapulted them to an improbable finish to the 2023 season. The defeat in Indy left the team at 7-7 and in the midst of a three-game losing streak. There were reports of internal dissention, questions about both the quarterback position and head coach Mike Tomlin’s job status, and according to the stat geeks, a meager 4% chance of making the playoffs. It felt like one of the lowest periods in Tomlin’s tenure.

Yet here we are, just three weeks later, and those same pundits who wondered if Tomlin had lost the locker room are now lauding him for an incredible coaching job and praising the team for its resilience. The victory in Baltimore allowed the Steelers to finish 10-7, with double-digit wins for the first time since 2020. More so, there is a sense they haven’t simply rebounded from their December doldrums but have rediscovered their identity and are playing with an accompanying confidence. Pittsburgh may not have the tools or talent to win it all. But they are peaking at the right time, which will make them a dangerous opponent in the post-season.

In the three games since Rudolph took over, the offense has averaged 157 rushing yards per contest. They used that ground game to control the game clock, possessing the ball for almost 22 minutes longer than their opponents, and to exploit the heavy boxes defenses employed to stop the run by creating explosive plays. Rudolph connected on passes to receivers George Pickens and Diontae Johnson for four touchdowns of 60 yards or longer, including this one to Johnson on the first play of the fourth quarter against Baltimore that gave the Steelers the lead for good:

TO. THE. HOUSE. 🙌 @Juiceup__3

📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/T87FSnfvVk pic.twitter.com/BqHjowNuk6

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 6, 2024

It’s fair to ask where that formula was a month ago, when Pittsburgh suffered consecutive home losses to a pair of two-win teams in Arizona and New England. It’s also fair to criticize Tomlin for bypassing Rudolph in favor of Trubisky, whose performance nearly doomed the Steelers. Trubisky played in all or most of four contests this season. Pittsburgh lost all four. In non-Trubisky games, the team went 10-3. The takeaway is clear: when the Steelers had merely competent quarterback play, they were among the best teams in football. When they had Trubisky, they were among the worst.

That’s an oversimplification, of course. Their slide in late November/early December, when they lost four of five games, also coincided with the defense being decimated by injuries, a switch at the offensive coordinator position and a corresponding attempt to re-make the team on the fly. It took some time for Pittsburgh to find stability again. Once they did, they played their best football of the season. Now, they’re in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. It’s an outcome reasonable fans could imagine heading into the season. The path the Steelers took to get there, however, was something no one saw coming.

Alpha Dogs

While Rudolph has played stellar football as the team’s starter, the real key to their success on offense has been getting the run game back on track. The 157 yards per game they averaged the past three weeks followed a three game losing streak where they averaged just 95 per contest. Pittsburgh didn’t dramatically alter their scheme between one streak and the other. They simply got improved play from their big guys up front, in particular the two alphas of the unit: veteran Isaac Seumalo and rookie Broderick Jones.

Seumalo had perhaps his best game of the season in the finale. On Pittsburgh’s first touchdown, he pancaked Baltimore’s Justin Madubuike on a trap play that sprung Najee Harris into the end zone. On the Steelers final drive, where they kicked a field goal that gave them a 10-point lead with 4:00 remaining and basically put the game out of reach, Harris ran left repeatedly, behind drive blocks from Seumalo that often resulted in Baltimore linemen being deposited into the laps of their linebackers.

.@steelers @ohthatsNajee22 behing the devastating trap block of Seumalo. Beautiful Football #herewego #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/dZdr0xy7Dq

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) January 7, 2024

Jones continues to improve each week. Against Baltimore, he played with energy and enthusiasm, chasing plays, moving piles forward by driving them from behind and finishing blocks. The contrast between Seumalo and Jones is interesting. The former is a grizzled veteran who has been through a legion of NFL battles and who goes about his business stoically. Cam Heyward referred to Seumalo after the Ravens’ game as a “silent assassin,” which seems like a perfect description. Jones, who is just 22 years old, is a pup by comparison. He plays with a seemingly boundless energy whose effort is infectious. Tomlin remarked recently that Jones is emerging as a leader on the line the way Maurkice Pouncey did late in his rookie season. Between the two, the Steelers may have the leaders up front that unit has been missing since Pouncey and David DeCastro were in their primes.

While Harris and Jaylen Warren have undoubtedly run hard the past few weeks, it’s the space that Seumalo and Jones have helped create that has laid the foundation for their success. Look for more of the same from the Steelers this weekend against Buffalo. If they find a way to advance, it will likely be the result of another big game from their alpha dogs up front.

“Off the couch…”

As Tomlin left the field in Baltimore on Saturday, he was heard repeatedly yelling “Off the couch!” This was a reference to Eric Rowe and Myles Jack, the two defenders the Steelers signed just a few weeks back whose presence in the starting lineup has stabilized a defense that looked to be in freefall.

Neither had played for an NFL team in 2023. Jack had bought a minor league hockey team and was studying to become a pilot. Rowe was hoping for a phone call from someone, but at age 31 with a long injury history, wasn’t holding his breath. Then the Steelers’ linebacking and safety corps were decimated by injury and suspension, and suddenly Tomlin was on the line and the two veterans were bound for Pittsburgh.

On Saturday, Rowe led the team in tackles for a second straight week and created a key turnover when he punched the football out of the grasp of Gus Edwards to set up Pittsburgh’s final field goal. Jack caused a fumble, too. Together, the duo has combined for 46 tackles, an interception, a sack and two forced fumbles since they took the field three weeks ago. It’s incredible production considering the circumstances.

Eric Rowe punches out the football to force the turnover in the 4th! Huge play by the former Dolphin‼️pic.twitter.com/7kITALwJmF

— King of Phinland🐬👑 (@KingOfPhinland) January 7, 2024

Somehow, Pittsburgh’s defense, which was so banged up they occasionally put players on the field whose names I had to look up because I didn’t recognize their jersey number, finished the regular season fifth in the NFL in scoring defense, fifth in interceptions, fourth in fumble recoveries and sixth in sacks. Players like Rowe and Jack made dramatic impacts, but the contributions of Mykal Walker, Patrick Peterson, Elandon Roberts, Chandon Sullivan and Markus Golden, all of whom were new to Pittsburgh this season, were significant as well. Then there were the rookies — Joey Porter Jr, Keanu Benton and Nick Herbig — who played like seasoned veterans. Together, it was a tremendous coaching job by the defensive staff to prepare the unit, and a great job by the players of executing the scheme The defense will face a significant challenge on Sunday against Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and company, but the adversity they’ve overcome to get to this point is nothing short of remarkable.

And Out…

Pittsburgh’s success the past four seasons against the Ravens has been remarkable as well. While Baltimore has largely owned the rest of the league, they’ve gone just 1-7 against the Steelers. The tweet below captures that mood perfectly:

Ravens vs every other NFL team since 2020: 41-18

Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers since 2020: 1-7 pic.twitter.com/bd5qRiCYyq

— Baku 🐧 (@Mazursky8895) January 7, 2024

And now it’s playoff time. Go Steelers!

Here’s the schedule for the various podcasts and video breakdowns I do each week on FFSN: Tuesday — “Here We Go” Steelers podcast with Bryan Anthony Davis, and “The Whip Around” NFL podcast with Jeff Hartman; Wednesday — Video breakdown of the Steelers on the SCN YouTube channel; Thursday — “The Call Sheet” podcast, talking coaching and all things football. You can also follow me on Twitter @KTSmithFFSN.