PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers were urged to add to their roster before this year's NFL Trade Deadline. Instead, they stood pat. They made no trades for a pass-catcher or any bolstering additions to an already impressive defense. The front office sent a crystal-clear message: the main pieces they assembled in the offseason are the ones they are relying on to finish the job in 2026.

That could be seen as a vote of confidence or an admission, depending on how you view the Steelers' roster. Now that we know who the team is running with, barring any free-agent additions, it's worth asking if this offense has what it takes to support a postseason run.

Looking through the past 10 teams to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, their offenses all shared one thing in common - they finished the regular season averaging at least 350 yards of offense per game. Sadly, the Steelers' offense isn't there yet, and without any upgrades at the deadline, it's unlikely they reach that point in 2026.

Winning a Super Bowl Now Requires a Top Offense

They say defenses win championships, and while that is certainly an important piece of winning in the NFL, having a well-structured and balanced offense is just as important.

The past 10 Super Bowl winners all had that in common. They didn't rank in the top five across all offensive statistical categories, but they did stand out in more than one way.

Total yards were consistent across all 10 winners. Each of those offenses averaged at least 350 yards of total offense per game at the end of the regular season. According to data compiled through ESPN, the Seattle Seahawks and the 2023 Kansas City Chiefs were the lowest-performing offenses in terms of total yards. Both teams averaged just over 351 yards per game. Last season, the Seahawks finished eighth in the NFL with 351.4 yards per game, while the '23 Chiefs finished ninth in the NFL that year with 351.3 yards per game.

The number 350 remains the benchmark for a Super Bowl-winning offense.

Through eight games, the Steelers are not meeting that mark. They have posted a respectable 328 yards per game, currently 16th in the NFL. It's also 23 yards more than they averaged in 2025 and nine yards higher than their 2024 offense.

Even with those improvements, the Steelers are still a bit short on reaching that 350 yards per game.

Steelers' Elite Category May Not Be Enough

The best part of the Steelers' offense is undoubtedly the running game. Led by Jaylen Warren, the ground game wears defenses down and consistently puts up yards. Warren has single-handedly posted at least 90 rushing yards and 100 all-purpose yards or more in five of the last six contests.

That's led to the Steelers averaging 117.9 rushing yards per game, which ranks 12th in the NFL. That's the highest they rank in any major offensive category (yards per game, rushing yards per game, passing yards per game and points per game), and it's what the Steelers are putting all of their hope in for a postseason run.

But can the running game add even more to what is already an outstanding performance for the rest of the season?

Steelers Still Need Pass Game Improvements

If the Steelers are serious about a Super Bowl, they need to improve their offensive output by 22 yards per game. The run game might take them there, but a better path to that total yardage is improving their pedestrian passing game.

That's what made the Steelers' inaction at the NFL Trade Deadline so maddening. They have a glaring hole and draft capital that could have filled the void, but they took the passive route.

As a result, they don't have the personnel to reach that next level. So, despite the surprising record and plenty of positives to build on for the second half, it's hard to take this team seriously as a Super Bowl contender after another quiet deadline performance.