The Steelers have an on-field problem, especially at home. They also have an in-stands problem at home, with way too many no-shows in the most recent game at Heinz Field.
In a season of full capacity after a full year of no one in the stands, the Steelers had a surprising number of unoccupied yellow seats in their most recent home game.
Ed Bouchette of TheAthletic.com pointed out in the aftermath of the Week Three loss to the Bengals that the Steelers had official attendance of 58,075. That equates to 10,325 empty seats -- more than 15 percent of capacity.
Bouchette explained that the Steelers rarely have fewer than 60,000 fans present for home games. It last happened in 2019, for a night game against the Bengals without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who had been lost for the year with an elbow injury.
As Bouchette noted, the real test comes today, when the Steelers host the Broncos. Pittsburgh has slumped to 1-3, with a stirring upset of the Bills to start the season followed by three straight losses. Will they dip below 60,000 in attendance again?
Next comes a Week Six night game against the Seahawks. Attendance at Pittsburgh games naturally dips when they play under the lights. If the Steelers lose today to the Broncos (I don’t think they will), it could be time to turn out the lights on 2021.