Behind the Steel Curtain
It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for a weekly Steelers links roundup at BTSC. But first, let’s take a look around the AFC North:
What’s the latest on the Steelers’ upcoming opponent? (In this case, more from Baltimore Beatdown):
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
(From The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen): Even when the offense was playing better, the Steelers had very little margin for error. Rodgers was already averse to taking hits before the wrist injury and was getting rid of the ball faster than any other quarterback. That can work when you have a favorable game script, but when the Steelers needed to throw downfield, Rodgers wouldn’t — unless he got wide open opportunities. The defense was predictable and got exposed early in their downturn. Coach Mike Tomlin made some adjustments and that side of the ball has played better lately, but the offense has been so bad that it hasn’t mattered. Though Tomlin may still be a great motivator and culture-setter, the game may have passed him by.
The first of many articles in this week’s “Wednesday links” taking issue with how the Steelers performed on Sunday.
(From NBC News’ Rohan Nadkarni): The main culprit for Pittsburgh’s loss was its moribund offense, which managed to gain only 166 total yards. It was responsible for only seven points, the same as the Bills’ defense, which scored on a fumble return for a touchdown of its own.
The head of the Steelers’ attack — or lack of one — is 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, who looked every bit his age Sunday. Rodgers completed only 10 of 21 passes for a 47.6% completion percentage with no touchdowns. He also coughed up the fumble that led to the Bills’ defensive score.
A national view of what Steeler fans have noticed already in recent weeks. Rodgers hasn’t come close to topping 200 passing yards in a game since Nov. 2.
(From ESPN’s Brooke Pryor): After completing fewer than 50% of his pass attempts in Sunday’s 26-7loss to the Buffalo Bills, quarterback Aaron Rodgers suggested two simple fixes to getting on the same page with his wide receivers with just five weeks left in the regular season.
“When there’s film sessions, everybody shows up, and...
