Cowboys, Steelers offensive production is virtually identical

Do the Dallas Cowboys or Pittsburgh Steelers hold the advantage heading into Sunday Night Football when it comes to advanced metrics?

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The advanced metrics for the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers through the first month of the 2024 season reveal key insights into how each offense could perform and how each defense will game plan heading into Sunday Night Football.

Both teams show similar overall efficiency, with Dallas slightly better in Expected Points Added per play (EPA/play) at -0.023 compared to Pittsburgh’s -0.025.

Their Success Rate is identical at 40.9%, indicating similar consistency in moving the ball.

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Team	EPA/play	Success Rate (SR)	Dropback EPA	Dropback SR	Rush EPA	Rush SR
DAL	-0.023	40.9%	-0.008	43.0%	-0.055	36.5%
PIT	-0.025	40.9%	0.114	45.5%	-0.188	35.5%

The Steelers have performed better in the passing game, with a Dropback EPA of 0.114, while the Cowboys lag at -0.008.

Dallas holds the edge in the rushing game, posting a Rush EPA of -0.055 versus Pittsburgh’s -0.188, showing that while neither team would be considered efficient running the ball, Dallas does hold a significant edge over the Steelers.

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The main takeaway from this should be that no team holds a clear advantage offensively, as indicated by both teams having the same overall success rate.

The Steelers have a slight advantage passing the ball, while the Cowboys hold an even slighter advantage in their rushing success rate. So the teams match up pretty well offensively.

Unfortunately for Dallas, the Steelers' defense has been dominant this season, while Dallas is coming in shorthanded defensively, which could ultimately be the deciding factor.

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