After an incredible Week 1 win against the New York Jets, the Pittsburgh Steelers failed to capitalize in their home opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Sam Darnold and the Seahawks jumped out to an early lead, and then after the Steelers took a 14-7 lead, Seattle scored 17 unanswered points, followed by a late touchdown to secure a 31-17 win.
The Steelers are going to be a good team. However, their offense has some question marks, and of course, a 41-year-old quarterback that must be protected for 15 more games. The offensive line does not have any big names on it, but head coach Mike Tomlin feels “great” about the group out on the field, blocking for Rodgers.
“You know, I feel great about it, to be honest with you,” Tomlin said. “I like our group, and we are going to continue to get better. We have to work in that spirit. Certainly, we could have been better in certain areas last week, but that's life. I like the overall trajectory of the group as a collective and as individuals, and I'm excited about getting them into the next stadium.”
The numbers were not great in the loss to the Seahawks. Rodgers was not great under pressure in the loss, and it was happening too often. “Aaron Rodgers under pressure today (via NextGenStats): 3/11, 36 yards, 1 INT, 2.8 passer rating, 3 sacks,” NFL podcaster Nate Tice posted to Bluesky. The offensive line must improve and not continue to put Rodgers in these types of situations. In the past, Rodgers has shown flashes under pressure, but he is not as quick and agile outside of the pocket to be as accurate as he used to be. The future Hall of Famer can still thrive under pressure, but he doesn't have the chemistry just yet with a new team.
The Steelers and New England Patriots meet in Week 3. On the road, the Steelers must improve on both sides of the ball if they want to get a win against a confusing Patriots' squad. Then, Tomlin, Rodgers, and the Steelers will head to Ireland for the NFL Dublin Game against the Minnesota Vikings.
