The Rams are gearing up to face the Steelers this week, a team that’s 3-2 despite ranking near the bottom of the league in total offense and points scored. Facing a team led by Mike Tomlin is never easy, especially considering the Steelers are coming off a bye in Week 6.
This is only the second meeting between these teams since Sean McVay took over as the head coach, with their most recent matchup coming in 2019 – a win by the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Both of these teams look very different than they did four years ago, so past results are not an indication of how things will go on Sunday.
Here are seven key stats and facts to know for this Week 7 matchup.
1
Rams are 3-3 vs. teams coming off a bye since 2017
The Rams have faced six teams coming off a bye week since Sean McVay took over in 2017, and they’ll do so four times alone this season, beginning this week. The Steelers were off in Week 6 and are now getting healthier, likely welcoming back Pat Freiermuth and Diontae Johnson on offense.
The Rams are 0-3 in their last 3 games against teams coming off a bye so this will be a challenge for Los Angeles.
2
Mike Tomlin is 12-4 following a bye in his career
The Steelers have been excellent following bye weeks under Tomlin. Since he became the head coach in 2007, Pittsburgh is 12-4 after a bye, winning each of its last six games. The Steelers are perennial contenders and are always above .500 with Tomlin as the head coach, but they’re especially good when they have an extra week to prepare for their opponent.
3
Steelers allow 6th-most yards per carry, 4th-most rushing yards per game
Pittsburgh has been abysmal running the ball on offense, but it’s been just as bad at stopping the run defensively. The Steelers allow 4.8 yards per carry (6th-worst) and give up 143.8 rushing yards per game (4th-worst).
The Rams are coming off their best rushing performance of the season but now will be without Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers after they suffered injuries in Week 6.
4
Pittsburgh has 2nd-most takeaways in the NFL
The Steelers allow the third-most yards per game and rank 20th in points allowed, and that’s despite forcing 11 turnovers, which is the second-most in the league. They have five interceptions and six fumble recoveries, consistently taking the ball away from their opponent in their five games so far. The Rams have only turned it over six times, which is the seventh-fewest in the NFL, but they’ll need to protect the ball well on Sunday.
5
No team has been worse in the red zone than the Steelers
The Steelers offense has not been good this season, ranking 30th in yards and points. A big reason for their lack of points (15.8 per game) is their struggling red zone offense. They’ve only made it into the red zone seven times this season, and they’ve scored touchdowns just twice on those trips inside the 20. The Rams have the ninth-best red zone defense in the league, allowing touchdowns on just 9 of 19 trips inside the red area.
6
Rams are 0-4 in last 4 games vs. Steelers, 15-10-2 all-time
Since 2007, the Rams and Steelers have met four times. Pittsburgh has won all four of those games, with the most recent matchup coming in 2019 when the Steelers beat the Rams, 17-12, in Pittsburgh.
In their all-time rivalry, the Rams are 15-10-2 against the Steelers, which dates all the way back to 1938 when the Rams were located in Cleveland.
7
Steelers blitz 7th-most of any team
The Steelers have always been a blitz-heavy team and that’s once again the case this season. According to Pro Football Reference, the Steelers blitz 36% of the time, which is the seventh-highest rate in the NFL this season. Pro Football Focus has given Matthew Stafford a 71.8 offensive grade when blitzed, which ranks 12th among quarterbacks. He’s completed 58.8% of his passes against the blitz this year, with just one touchdown and two interceptions.
