The Pittsburgh Steelers were back in AFC North action, this time traveling to the Bengals in Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season. The Steelers had a much different type of game where they had significant advantages in some numbers yet the score was much closer.

So without further ado, here are some of the numbers involved in the Steelers Week 12 win over the Bengals.

0

Steelers had their first turnover since Week 8 which took away a scoring opportunity when Jaylen Warren fumbled in the red zone. But the Steelers ended up even in the turnover battle on the day as Trenton Thompson’s interception on the opening drive of the second half took away a scoring opportunity for the Bengals as it was also a red zone turnover. The separating factor in these turnovers by each team is the Steelers drove 79 yards for a touchdown off of their takeaway while the Bengals were forced to punt.

421

A lot has been made about how long it had been since the Steelers had 400 yards of offense in a game. Racking up a total of 421 yards, it’s the first time the Steelers eclipsed the 400-yard mark in the regular season since Week 2 of 2020. When including the postseason, it was the first the Steelers have been over 400 yards since their 2020 Wild Card loss when they put up 553 yards against the Browns.

120

Coming into the game, tight end Pat Freiermuth had 60 receiving yards on nine receptions in five games. With a change in offensive philosophy with a new offensive coordinator, Freiermuth exploded for 120 yards on nine receptions as he was targeted 11 times.

0

For the first time in the 2023 season, the Steelers did not have a three and out on offense all day. Except for the final drive where they finished with three snaps in victory formation, the Steelers gained double-digit yards on every drive and had at least one first down. This was the first time since Week 17 of last season that the Steelers went a game without a three and out with the previous game being Week 16 of 2021. As for the Steelers defense, they forced a three and out three times.

14:34

While some don’t look at this stat as important, the style of play by the Pittsburgh Steelers does benefit from having an advantage in the time of possession. With the Steelers holding the ball for 37:17 compared to the Bengals 22:43, the Steelers almost had a full quarter of an advantage in time of possession. It was only the third game this season the Steelers won the time of possession, and it’s the most time they have possessed the ball since Week 10 of last season against the New Orleans Saints.

153

Despite it being the lowest rushing output in the last four games, the Steelers currently have a four-game streak of at least 150 total rushing yards. This tied the longest streak of the 2023 season with the Chicago Bears who rushed for 150 or more yards in Week 4 through Week 7. The Steelers finished the day with 153 rushing yards on 33 attempts and a 4.6 YPC. If taking out the final three plays of the game where they took a knee, the Steelers averaged 5.2 YPC. Najee Harris led the way with 99 rushing yards on 15 carries for a 6.6 YPC and a touchdown.

25

Looking at the other side of the ball, the Steelers completely shut down any type of running game for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals only rushed for 25 yards as a team on 11 carries which was 2.3 YPC. Running back Joe Mixon only had 16 yards on eight carries with a long 4 yards while quarterback Jake Browning had 9 yards on three carries with a long of 6 yards on a scramble. The Bengals did not have a single first down in the game that came on a running play.

1 for 4

One place where the Steelers came up short and need to improve is the red zone efficiency. On the day, the Steelers were only one for four in the red zone with one touchdown, two field goals, and a turnover.

47% vs. 20%

The Steelers held a huge advantage in third-down conversions for the game. Only converting 3 of 9 for 33% in the first half, the Steelers still had an advantage as the Bengals went 0 for 4 over the first 30 minutes. The second half saw the Steelers improve to 5 of 8 for 63% as the Bengals also improved but to only 2 of 6 for 33%. For the game, the Steelers were 8 for 17 with a 47% conversion rate where the Bengals were only 2 of 10 for a 20% conversion rate. But the Steelers took a knee on their last third down. Without that last play of the game, they were at 50%.

1

I’ve said this so many times, but at the end of the game the only thing that matters is which team won and which team lost. This week, despite only scoring 16 points, the Steelers came away with the victory. While it was great to go over 400 yards of offense, without the win it really would not have mattered. But now the Steelers are 7–4 as they return home to play two games in five days against teams who only have two wins each on the season.

So there are some numbers to help put the Steelers Week 12 win in perspective. With a completely different feel to the offense, the Steelers will look to once again stack wins when they return home to face the Cardinals.

So what numbers from Sunday’s game stand out to you? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.