Analyzing the Steelers Fourth Quarter Failures

The Pittsburgh Steelers have dropped 3 games in a row against AFC West opponents and what was once a 2.5-game stranglehold atop the division has slipped to just a half-game lead over Baltimore. The Steelers of the last four weeks (including their slim victory over Jacksonville) look much the same as the Steelers that stumbled out of the gate to a 1-2-1 start and were on track to have the worst defense in team history. Those trends corrected themselves over a 6-game winning streak that included dominant performances over Atlanta, Cleveland, and Carolina.

By all statistical accounts, the Steelers are who we thought they would be – a team with an elite offense and mediocre defense. The team…