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Poor Defensive Efforts
Again, harping on the same thing as last week. The defense has got to step up and play better. The highest paid defense in the NFL, giving up back-to-back 30-point weeks to the Jets and Seahawks, is just purely unacceptable. T.J. Watt who got paid some big money this offseason was very quiet during this game, only recording 4 tackles throughout the game. This defense who boosted the defensive line this offseason gave up 117 total rushing yard, but if you watched this game, it could have been much more. If these 26 players on the roster want to be considered an elite defense, you have to prove that you are on Sundays – as the coach says, “inside the stadium” – and right now the Steelers are doing the opposite of that.

Regressing Rodgers?

After a stellar start to his Steeler career, Rodgers threw for only 203 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 picks. Not the game you want after a great start with a new team. At the end of the game Steelers backup Mason Rudolph came in for a couple plays and it seems like this was just to save Rodgers from a potential injury.

But overall this was not the reason they lost this game. Going to the game, it seemed like the receivers and Rodgers were on two different plays at time. And at others, Rodgers would make a great throw and it would just bobble out of the receivers hands. So I will not be blaming Rodgers for this loss at all. Overall I thought he had an ok game, but comparing to last week, it was like night and day.

Austin, pictured with arms outstreched, stopped a potential touchdown catch from Pat Friermuth, on the ground behind him in the end zone. With the score 14-14 at the time, Rodgers became deeply upset on the field. https://www.si.com/nfl/aaron-rodgers-calvin-austin-reaction-int

Coaching Troubles

For the past couple of years, we have heard from so many Steelers and Pittsburgh sports media outlets that it could be Mike Tomlin’s final year as the Steelers head coach. But year after year here we are, a 9-8 or 10-7 record with a first-round playoff loss. So at some point the front office has to look and make some moves. Not just with players, but with coaching as well. Tomlins always had this “Next Man Up” attitude when it comes to starting players.

But now it feels like when the starters get injured, it almost seems like the Steelers can’t fill the gap that the starter brings. We also have to talk about the defensive coordinator, Teryl Austin. This is Austin’s third year as the coordinator and since his promotion, this defense has not looked up to par with what it should be. From a fan perspective, he should be gone in the same way they did Matt Canada a couple years ago.