Steelers defense: one second-half touchdown allowed in 2026
Pittsburgh has yielded 47 points across seven second halves entering Sunday's game against Cleveland.
By Aisha Khan ·
The Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed one touchdown after halftime in 2026, a mark that stands through seven games as the team prepares to host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Mike Gesicki caught a 25-yard scoring pass from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow with 13 minutes, 25 seconds left in the Week 3 game on Sept. 27, a game Pittsburgh won.
Across seven second halves, opponents have scored 47 points against the Steelers, a rate of 6.7 points per game that ties for second best in the NFL. The second-half scoring against Pittsburgh consists of 11 field goals and two touchdowns, though one of those touchdowns was a fumble return by New England on Sept. 20. Pittsburgh shut out New Orleans in the second half of their game Sunday in Paris.
Fourth-quarter defense has been similarly stingy. Opponents have scored 22 points in fourth quarters against Pittsburgh in 2026, an average of 4.1 per game that ranks second in the league. The Patriots' defensive touchdown is included in that figure.
Pittsburgh ranks eighth in opponent red-zone conversion rate at 46.2%, but the larger factor is how rarely teams reach the red zone against the Steelers. Opponents have driven inside the 20-yard line 13 times over seven games, tied for the fewest in the NFL, an average of 1.9 opportunities per game. Only Minnesota and Kansas City have allowed fewer red-zone touchdowns than Pittsburgh's six.
Second quarters have been less kind. Pittsburgh's defense has allowed seven opponent touchdowns in the second quarters of the past five games. Cleveland, the opponent Sunday, has been outscored 58-13 in first quarters in 2026, a minus-45 margin that is the worst in the league.
Casino Guru's "NFL Stadium Scare Index" ranked Acrisure Stadium as the second scariest venue for visiting teams, behind Denver's Empower Field at Mile High. Over the prior five seasons, visiting teams at Acrisure averaged 1.69 giveaways and 1.55 false starts per game from 2021 through 2025, the highest figures in the league for both categories.
The Steelers face the Browns at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday.
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
