The Pittsburgh Steelers got absolutely manhandled by the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, and it was rough to watch. The offense looked totally out of sync, and watching Aaron Rodgers scramble for his life all day with the offensive line just crumbling was a major red flag. Week 2, and we’re already seeing this much inconsistency and injury piling up? That’s not how you start a season.
Watt and Queen Showed Up, But Where Was Everyone Else?
If you squint really hard, there were a couple of bright spots in this absolute mess, and thank goodness for them. TJ Watt, man, that guy is just something else. His Week 1 performance was clearly no fluke because he was unstoppable again in Week 2, racking up 1.5 sacks. He’s got that explosive jump off the ball we’ve come to expect, and Patrick Graham’s edge rusher rotation is clearly working wonders for him. Watt is playing like he wants another Defensive Player of the Year award, and honestly, he’s earned it. Then you’ve got Patrick Queen, who made a huge play with an interception off a Drake Maye pass that looked like it was thrown right to him. Jack Sawyer provided some serious pressure on that play, too, which was great to see. The inside linebacker room, with Queen and Payton Wilson emerging, has shown flashes of quality play through these first two games. But two guys playing well can’t carry an entire team, can they?
Metcalf Is a Net Negative, and the O-Line Is a Disaster Zone
Alright, let’s get into the stuff that’s keeping me up at night. DK Metcalf, what is going on? He’s becoming a net negative for this offense, turning nine targets into just four catches for 27 yards. Roman Wilson and rookie Germie Bernard actually finished with more yards on fewer targets, which tells you everything you need to know. The drops were still plaguing Metcalf, and head coach Mike McCarthy tried to force-feed him touches early, but it never amounted to anything. He’s getting the most targets on the team, but it’s getting harder and harder to justify that workload. The Steelers offense has to change something, and maybe that means less Metcalf.
And then there’s the pass protection. Woof. The offensive line was absolutely manhandled by the Patriots’ front seven all afternoon. Starting tackles Dylan Cook and Troy Fautanu definitely didn’t have their best game, letting the Patriots get to Aaron Rodgers for four sacks. To make matters worse, starting guard Mason McCormick went down with an injury in the second half. That means even more inexperience is stepping into an already struggling line, which is just brutal. Rodgers had basically no help from his receivers or his O-line, so it’s tough to lay all the blame on him. But his pocket movement was questionable at times, and that lack of mobility really showed up.
This team has some serious problems after Week 2. When your veteran quarterback is running for his life and your top receiver can’t hold onto the ball, you know changes are coming. The offensive line losing Mason McCormick just piles on the issues. They gotta figure this out fast, or it’s going to be a long season for the Steelers.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Behind the Steel Curtain.
Leave a Reply