Steelers @ N.Y. Giants: The matchups

Will the Steelers' road woes continue this week? This is, by far, the best opponent the Steelers have faced so far this season, and for all the happy talk about how well they have played the past two weeks this is the game that will inform us all as to where this team is at.

N.Y. Giants Offense v. Steelers Defense
Average total yards per game: N.Y. Giants offense 4th (396.8) v. Steelers defense 2nd (274.1)

Average net rushing yards per game: N.Y. Giants offense 12th (114.6) v. Steelers defense 9th (91.6)

Average net passing yards per game: N.Y. Giants offense 7th (282.1) v. Steelers defense 7th (182.6)

Average points per game: N.Y. Giants offense 3rd (29.3) v. Steelers defense 9th (20.6)

Steelers Offense v. N.Y. Giants Defense
Average total yards per game: Steelers offense 10th (369.9) v. N.Y. Giants defense 24th (386.5)

Average net rushing yards per game: Steelers offense 22nd (97.3) v. N.Y. Giants defense 19th (113.0)

Average net passing yards per game: Steelers offense 7th (272.6) v. N.Y. Giants defense 26th (273.5)

Average points per game: Steelers offense: 13th (23.9) v. N.Y. Giants defense 8th (20.1)

Special Teams
Average yards per punt return: N.Y. Giants 26th (6.7) v. Steelers 20th (7.5)

Average yards allowed per punt return: N.Y. Giants 4th (5.5) v. Steelers 15th (8.5)

Average yards per kick return: N.Y. Giants 13th (25.4) v. Steelers 10th (26.1)

Average yards allowed per kick return: N.Y. Giants 16th (23.9) v. Steelers 27th (27.2)

Net yardage punting average: N.Y. Giants 18th (39.5) v. Steelers 25th (37.6)

Opponent net yardage punting average: N.Y. Giants 26th (41.3) v. Steelers 20th (40.3)

Miscellaneous
Turnover differential: N.Y. Giants 1st (+13) v. Steelers 13th (+1)

Time of possession: N.Y. Giants 14th (30:36) v. Steelers 2nd (34:35)

Red Zone touchdown efficiency (touchdowns): N.Y. Giants 26th (44.4%) v. Steelers 15th (53.8%)

Red Zone defense (touchdowns): N.Y. Giants 11th (47.4%) v. Steelers 22nd (59.1%)

Sacks allowed: N.Y. Giants 1st (7) v. Steelers 9th (14)

Some Individual Numbers
Passer rating: Eli Manning, 7th/NFC (89.1) v. Ben Roethlisberger, 2nd/AFC (101.4)

Leading rushers: Ahmad Bradhsaw, 5th/NFC (570 yards, 4.5 yards per carry, 4 touchdowns) v. Jonathan Dwyer, 16th/AFC (299 yards, 5.2 yards per carry, 0 touchdowns)

Leading receiver: Victor Cruz, 2nd/NFC (52 catches, 650 yards, 12.5 per catch, 7 touchdowns) v. Antonio Brown, 5th/AFC (40 catches, 480 yards, 12.0 yards per catch, 1 touchdowns)

Sack Leaders: Jason Pierre-Paul, 11th/NFC (5.5) v. Larry Foote & Jason Worilds, 17th/AFCh (3.0 each)

Washington vs. Steelers: The matchups

Statistically speaking these two teams are about as evenly matched as two teams can be.

Washington Offense v. Steelers Defense
Average total yards per game: Washington offense 5th (406.3) v. Steelers defense 2nd (277.3)

Average net rushing yards per game: Washington offense 1st (177.7) v. Steelers defense 9th (92.5)

Average net passing yards per game: Washington offense 20th (228.6) v. Steelers defense 2nd (184.8)

Average points per game: Washington offense 5th (29.6) v. Steelers defense 12th (22.0)

Steelers Offense v. Washington Defense
Average total yards per game: Steelers offense 11th (372.3) v. Washington defense 29th (413.7)

Average net rushing yards per game: Steelers offense 26th (90.2) v. Washington defense 7th (85.3)

Average net passing yards per game: Steelers offense 6th (282.2) v. Washington defense 32nd (328.4)

Average points per game: Steelers offense: 17th (23.3) v. Washington defense 28th (28.6)

Special Teams
Average yards per punt return: Washington 30th (5.5) v. Steelers 21st (7.3)

Average yards allowed per punt return: Washington 7th (6.1) v. Steelers 8th (6.7)

Average yards per kick return: Washington 19th (23.4) v. Steelers 7th (28.0)

Average yards allowed per kick return: Washington 19th (24.8) v. Steelers 27th (27.8)

Net yardage punting average: Washington 30th (37.2) v. Steelers 27th (37.4)

Opponent net yardage punting average: Washington 32nd (43.2) v. Steelers 25th (41.7)

Miscellaneous
Turnover differential: Washington 5th (+7) v. Steelers 12th (+1)

Time of possession: Washington 13th (30:57) v. Steelers 2nd (34:49)

Red Zone touchdown efficiency (touchdowns): Washington 8th (59.1%) v. Steelers 16th (52.4%)

Red Zone defense (touchdowns): Washington 16th (53.8%) v. Steelers 25th (63.2%)

Sacks allowed: Washington 20th (16) v. Steelers 12th (13)

Some Individual Numbers
Passer rating: Robert Griffin III, 2nd/NFC (101.8) v. Ben Roethlisberger, 2nd/AFC (98.6)

Leading rushers: Alfred Morris, 1st/NFC (658 yards, 4.8 yards per carry, 5 touchdowns) v. Jonathan Dwyer, 18th/AFC (192 yards, 4.7 yards per carry, 0 touchdowns)

Leading receiver: Fred Davis, 34th/NFC (24 catches, 325 yards, 13.5 per catch, 0 touchdowns) v. Antonio Brown, 4th/AFC (36 catches, 442 yards, 12.3 yards per catch, 1 touchdowns)

Sack Leaders: Ryan Kerrigan, 23rd/NFC (3.5) v. Jason Worilds, 20th/AFCh (3.0)

Penalties: A snapshot

Sunday night's special teams flag fest got us to wondering just where the 2012 Steelers rank in terms of penalties as compared to its recent predecessor.  So, going back to 2000 here are some of the fun facts we uncovered:

• The 2012 Steelers have been called for 20 offensive holding penalties -- the league includes holding on punt returns in this category -- through their first six games.  The record for most offensive holding penalties in a season, between 2000-2012, is 37 in 2010.  Incredibly, in 2006 the team had NINE the entire season. 
•  Of those 20 offensive holding penalties this season, one offensive lineman -- Willie Colon -- is responsible for six.  Marcus Gilbert is the only other offensive lineman flagged for holding so far this season.
• The highest number of penalties called against an individual player in a single season (2000-2012) is 12 against Chad Scott (a player who Steelers fans loved to hate).  From 2000-2002 Mr. Scott led the team each season for most penalties committed; his reign was broken in 2003 when Plaxico Burress took the crown -- the only season since 2000 that an offensive lineman or defensive back did not lead the team in penalties committed.
• From 2000-2004 the aforementioned Mr. Scott committed 41 penalties, an average of 8.2 penalties per season.  By comparison, in the previous nine season Ike Taylor committed 48, an average of 5.3 per game.
• Ike Taylor's worst season for penalties was 2011, when he was flagged for nine the entire season.  By way of comparison, through six games of the 2012 season he has been called for eight penalties.
• So far in the 2012 season the Steelers have been called for 53 penalties (8.83 per game average) while opponents have been called for 28 (4.67 per game average).
• The Steelers have been called for more penalties than the opponents in eight of the previous 12 seasons.  The only exceptions are 2000 (102/105), 2005 (115/120), 2006 (85/104), and 2009 (101/102).