The Pittsburgh Steelers' season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons wasn't pretty, but it was a win nonetheless. Sunday's Week 2 matchup against the defending AFC champion New England Patriots was an entirely different story. The Steelers fell 20-3, with their only points coming off a 56-yard field goal from Chris Boswell at the end of the second quarter.
Aaron Rodgers finished 23 of 39 for 187 yards with one interception, while star receiver DK Metcalf was held to just 27 yards on four catches (nine targets), again struggling with drops. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy made it clear after the game that the blame falls squarely on him and his staff for the team's offensive woes in Sunday's loss. "Detail's not there, and that's on coaching," McCarthy said.
And I didn't do a good job." More news: Packers Dealt Multiple NFL Fines Following Ugly Week 1 Collapse McCarthy isn't just a veteran NFL head coach, having led the Green Bay Packers for 13 seasons and the Dallas Cowboys for five seasons before taking over in Pittsburgh. He's also a former offensive coordinator, holding that role with both the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers before getting his first head coaching gig. His previous offenses with Rodgers under center were always high-powered and efficient, pushing the ball downfield and playing with rhythm.
None of that was on display against the Patriots. More news: Kenneth Walker Draws Bijan Robinson Comparison From New Chiefs Teammate More news: Cam Skattebo Fires Warning Shot at Aaron Donald Ahead of Giants-Rams Pittsburgh went just 2 of 12 on third downs and finished with 235 total yards, struggling in the run game as well, despite winning the possession battle. New England didn't look much better, which makes a near-20-point loss look even worse for McCarthy's side.
The Steelers will get a shot at redemption next week against the Cincinnati Bengals back in Pittsburgh, before traveling on the road to face the Cleveland Browns on "Thursday Night Football."
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