The Pittsburgh Steelers offense is flat-out broken, folks, and Week 2 was an absolute gut punch that proved it. After squeaking by in the opener, they completely cratered, managing a measly single field goal in a brutal 20-3 defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots. What a rough watch. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers himself admitted it postgame, saying, “We just didn’t get into a rhythm. We had too many three-and-outs again. I didn’t feel like there was anybody that had an exceptional game out there. We all played below our standard.” And when Rodgers is saying that, you know it’s bad.
The Numbers Are Screaming
How bad was it? That three-point output against the Patriots tied for the fewest points Rodgers has ever started and finished in his entire career. Think about that for a second! It puts him right there with a 2021 game at the Saints where he also scored three points. This isn’t just a bad game, this is historic futility for a guy who’s seen it all. Through two games, the Steelers have tallied a pathetic 499 total yards, averaging out to an anemic 249.5 yards per game. That’s not just a career low for Rodgers through two games, it’s also the fewest total yards through two games in Mike McCarthy’s coaching career too. This is not the kind of history you want to be making early in the season.
Where Did the Big Plays Go?
The lack of explosion from this offense is genuinely jarring. Their 3.8 yards per play average ranks dead last in the league. They’ve only managed two plays all season that have gone for 25 or more yards. Against New England on Sunday, it was even worse, averaging just 3.5 yards per play. Rodgers was barely pushing the ball downfield, averaging a measly 5.4 air yards per pass attempt. Get this, 13 of his 39 pass attempts were at or behind the line of scrimmage, and he only tried three passes 20-plus yards downfield. For the season, 24 of Rodgers’ 79 pass attempts have been at or behind the line of scrimmage. That’s a huge chunk of short, unthreatening throws. Adding to the misery, the rapport between Rodgers and wideout DK Metcalf looks nonexistent, with Metcalf catching just eight of 19 targets and already racking up three drops this season. He only had four drops all of last season, so this is a significant dip. It’s not just big plays either, they’re not even stringing together positive plays to extend drives, converting a dreadful two of 12 third-down opportunities against the Patriots, and sitting at 5-for-25 for the season. When they finally did hit an explosive play, a 26-yard catch-and-run by Jaylen Warren that brought them to the New England 4-yard line, Rodgers was sacked for a 13-yard loss on the very next play. Just soul-crushing stuff. This offense needs a serious gut check.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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