Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Andy Nesbitt

Aaron Rodgers Had Three Miserable Moments in Steelers’ Loss to Patriots

Aaron Rodgers Steelers Patriots Pittsburgh Bryce Young Caleb Williams Christian Elliss Gabe Jacas Mike McCarthy New England

Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers had hopes of going into New England on Sunday and making a statement early in the season against the defending AFC champs. Instead, the veteran quarterback wasn’t able to lead his offense to a single touchdown and Pittsburgh left town with a deflating 20–3 loss.

Steelers fans were hoping that the Rodgers and the offense would be humming to start the year, especially with head coach Mike McCarthy now in charge. But that hasn’t been they case as they’ve only scored one touchdown through the first two games. Defensive star T.J. Watt has the same amount of scores for Pittsburgh thus far, as he recorded a pick-six against the hapless Falcons in Pittsburgh’s Week 1 win.

NFL Week 2 Good, Bad and Ugly: Bryce Young Is Finally Playing Like a No. 1 Pick

Rodgers had a rough day against the Patriots and his 42-year-old body will likely bit sore when he wakes up Monday morning. New England’s defense got to him a few times, including one of the hardest hits you’ll ever see a quarterback take.

Let’s take a look at the three worst moments from Rodgers’s day in New England.

Rodgers was lucky to escape a vicious sack in the second quarter without an injury

Rodgers had the Steelers’ offense driving down the field midway through the second quarter when disaster struck. Facing a third-and-seven from New England’s 27-yard-line, Rodgers dropped back to pass and was absolutely crushed by New England’s Christian Elliss and Robert Spillane. Rodgers lost control of the ball and his fumble was eventually recovered by Pittsburgh but for a huge loss, which led to a punt instead of a field goal attempt.

Here’s that play:

Here’s another angle that shows just how incredible it was that Rodgers wasn’t hurt on the play:

Rodgers talked about that hit after the game.

“I’ve learned you got to get up quick, number one, so they don’t try to send anyone out to get you," he said. "But yeah, that was definitely a shot. I haven’t taken too many of those in my career because usually I’ve got a feeling if we’re picked up or we’re not picked up and that was a lapse in communication, obviously, there.”

Rodgers then fumbled again in the fourth quarter and the Patriots ran it back for a touchdown

Rodgers was looking to get the offense going early in the fourth quarter when once again he was pressured in the pocket and lost control of the ball on a strip sack. This time New England not only recovered it, but Elijah Ponder ran it in for a touchdown that gave the Patriots a commanding 20–3 lead.

Here’s how that played out:

Rodgers’s last brutal moment wasn’t really his fault, but it was another turnover for the Steelers

Rodgers’s ugly day ended in fitting fashion as his short pass to Germie Bernard bounced off the wide receiver’s chest and landed in the hands of Patriots rookie linebacker Gabe Jacas, who was basically gifted the first interception of his NFL career.

What Rodgers had to say after the game about the Steelers’ struggles so far

After the game, Rodgers addressed the offensive struggles the Steelers have had through the first two weeks of the season and what they need to do as a unit to get things going.

“I think we’ve got to take ownership as players,” he said “We’ve got to be accountable to each other about our performance, mine wasn’t good enough [Sunday] and a lot of guys on offense weren’t good enough. So we’ve got to start with ourselves and not point the finger and not ride the roller coaster. It’s a long season, they’re a Super Bowl team from last year, we knew it was going to be a tough game. We had our chances. Our defense played excellent football—when they hold them to 13 points, we have to win the game. So it’s definitely on us to play better. But you’re not going to see me panic. I don’t think Mike’s [McCarthy] going to panic. Our urgency is going to go up a little bit, for sure. But no panic.”

The Steelers will look to rebound next Sunday when they host Joe Burrow and the Bengals, who had a big road win over the Texans in Week 2.

MORE NFL FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Justin Bieber performs surprise acoustic gig in beleaguered Los Angeles park
Small crowd enjoys singer’s free concert in MacArthur Park, which has often drawn headlines for less cheery reasons
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Why Is Shredded Cheese Covered in White Powder?
Opening a fresh bag of pre-shredded cheddar or mozzarella for a weeknight dinner frequently reveals a fine dusting of white powder clinging to the dairy flakes. This chalky coating often catches the eye of home cooks who wonder if the powder is an artificial additive, a sign of spoilage, or…
Grocery Coupon Guide
Grocery Coupon Guide
Airbnb host befuddled after finding out guests left her home covered in candle wax and stains: ‘What were they doing?’
"I just want these people off Airbnb."
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
South Dakota collector's $750 crock had a rare twin that sold for $32,000
More than 30 years ago, a South Dakota collector who goes only by Rick paid $750 for a 30-gallon Red Wing stoneware crock at an auction, storing it in an old granary on his farm, where it sat largely forgotten for decades. It wasn't until he saw photos of a…
The Times of India
The Times of India
‘Can’t really say no’: Iowa women sit down for dinner at Cheesecake Factory. Then a pregnant stranger walks up and starts eating their meal
One pregnancy craving, one table's bread
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
The more you eat of these popular foods, the greater your risk of serious illness and even death, new report says
Some 60 percent of the American diet is made up of ultraprocessed foods
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play