The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for the 2024 regular season, and with it being the team’s fourth game fans’ hopes remain high heading into the second quarter of the season. The hope is there is a winning performance on the horizon on Sunday in Week 5 when the team hosts the Dallas Cowboys in prime time.

What exactly do the Steelers need to do to on offense to claim their fourth victory of 2024? Let’s break it down…

Offense

Start Fast

The Dallas defense is not playing great football this season, and they will be without two of their best players in Week 5. The Cowboys defense is surrendering 355.3 yards per game, ranked 26th in the NFL, and it will be up to the Steelers to go into the game on Sunday night with a balanced approach which will allow them to impose their will on the defense. With the Cowboys without their two edge rushers, Lawrence and Parsons, the Steelers should have no excuse for not being able to move the ball in this game.

Capitalize on Opportunities

On top of surrendering a lot of yards, the Dallas defense is also giving up a lot of points. They are giving up 26 points per game, which ranks 28th in the league, and while the defense isn’t able to keep opponents off the scoreboard they are also highly penalized. Through four games the Cowboys defense has been penalized 33 times, which ranks in the bottom quarter of the league in this category. Throw in a red-zone defense giving up touchdowns 75% of the time, ranking 28th in the league, and you have plenty of opportunities. The one aspect of the Dallas defense which is a Top 15 unit is their 3rd down defense, giving up 33.3%. If the Steelers can convert on 3rd downs, they’ll be able to have plenty of chances to put up points on this defense.

Control the Clock

The Dallas Cowboys in 2024 are built around their high-powered offense, and shoot-outs might be their main way of winning until they get healthy on defense. The Cowboys are giving up 209.5 yards per game through the air (20th), 145.8 on the ground (27th) and will be looking to get their offense as many possessions as possible. One of the biggest areas of improvement for the Steelers offense this season has been their ability to possess the ball. Through 4 games the Steelers have averaged 33:13 minutes in time of possession, the second best mark in the NFL. Sometimes the best defense is keeping their offense on the sideline. Long, time-consuming drives ending in touchdowns could be the recipe for success in Week 5.

I talk about this, and MUCH more on the “Let’s Ride”, and you can hear that podcast in the player below this article. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the team as they gear up for game time!