Aaron Rodgers know it’s hard to win in the NFL. Especially facing the top-ranked team in the AFC like the Indianapolis Colts. Facing an offense capable of putting up points in bunches, the onus was on the Pittsburgh Steelers to score. While 27 points is nice, Rodgers knows the group left plenty on the table. He’s pointing the blame at the players, not the coaches.
“I loved the play calling,” he said via the team’s website post-game. “I thought the execution was pretty bad. We gotta look in the mirror and play better on offense. Because that’s not good enough.
“Any phase. Me, run game, catching the football. Defense played incredible.”
Pittsburgh’s normally fast-starting offense was stuck in the early goings. The Steelers punted on its first two drives and turned the ball over on downs after the team’s first takeaway, recovering a Colts’ punt deep in opposing territory. On that fourth down, TE Darnell Washington failed to get his head around in time on a “hot” throw to beat the blitz, unable to secure the pass.
Crucial missed chances against a Colts’ team averaging a league-high 33 points per game. But the defense kept the score down with takeaway after takeaway. That gave the offense time and margin to get going. Pittsburgh scored 17 second quarter points to take a lead that wouldn’t be given back. Rodgers was part of that, connecting with TE Pat Freiermuth for a 12-yard touchdown to bookend a Payton Wilson interception.
That was Rodgers’ 17th touchdown pass of the season, more than any Steelers’ quarterback has posted in a single season in the four years post-Ben Roethlisberger. RB Jaylen Warren scored twice on the ground, his first multi-score ground game of his career.
Snapping a two-game losing skid with an upset win over the Colts is a massive win no matter how it happens. But Rodgers knows the game shouldn’t have ended in a one-possession outcome.
“We gotta put 35, 42 on the board and close the game out,” he said.
Pittsburgh finished just 3-of-6 in the red zone after coming into the game finding the end zone nearly 75 percent of the time. One more touchdown instead of a field goal, or coming away empty-handed, would’ve made the victory look even more impressive. Wide receiver Roman Wilson fumbled late, giving the Colts one last chance to make it a close game.
Still, for the Steelers to score 27 points in a lackluster offensive effort is a stark contrast to how pitiful Pittsburgh’s offense has been in recent years. Normally, a “bad” game for this offense results in 13 points instead of nearly 30. Creating six takeaways and short fields sure makes it easier to score but a win in any form or fashion was required Sunday. Pittsburgh made it happen.
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