The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense didn’t experience the success it did in Week 1 when Aaron Rodgers led the team to a 34-32 win over his former squad, the New York Jets. In Week 2, Rodgers’ stat line looked far less impressive. He went 18 of 33 passing for 203 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. The Steelers’ offense wasn’t very exciting, but it was the defense that looked bad once again. That’s where most of the concern from the fan base is coming from.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Earlier in the game, Rodgers threw a quick strike that was almost intercepted. The ball was thrown directly into the Seattle Seahawks' secondary, but Rodgers was lucky it bounced off a Seahawks defender’s helmet. The pass wasn’t picked off, but later in the game, he did end up throwing two interceptions. It was a disappointing outing from the offense, but the defense and rookie Kaleb Johnson’s special teams blunder really stole the blame from the fan base.
Steelers' legendary quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger went on his podcast Footbahlin on Tuesday evening to share his thoughts on the ugly 31-17 Week 2 loss to the Seahawks. The home opener definitely didn’t go as planned, but Roethlisberger pointed out Rodgers’ errant mistake early in the game. He broke down what he thinks may have happened and made it clear the Steelers got very lucky on that play.
"Earlier in the game, he threw a ball going towards the open end that hit a defender basically in the face," Roethlisberger said on his podcast Footbahlin on Tuesday evening. "I mean, he jumped for it and it hit him in the face. If he intercepted that, I think he is scoring because there wasn’t anybody in his way. That one just made me, like, I don’t know what Aaron saw. Maybe he didn’t see him, maybe it was gonna go over his head—I don’t really know what happened."
The play gave Steelers fans an early scare, and looking back on it, it almost felt like subtle foreshadowing for things to come. Roethlisberger pointed out that Rodgers did end up throwing two interceptions in the game.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
He was quick to defend Rodgers on the red zone pick, noting that if Calvin Austin III hadn’t made that mistake, Pat Freiermuth likely comes down with it for a touchdown. That perspective gave fans a different way to view the play instead of putting all the blame on Rodgers. Still, the interceptions were a big part of the story in what turned out to be a frustrating loss.
"They were very fortunate there," Roethlisberger said. "That was a very fortunate situation that could have been really disastrous. Yeah, you talk about two INTs—it is what it is, and Aaron is known not to throw them in the red zone. Again, I can’t say he threw an interception; stats say he threw an INT in the red zone. That’s just an unfortunate interception."
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Not Fully To Blame For Week 2 Loss
For as much as the offense struggled, it’s clear the defense and special teams miscues played an even bigger role in sinking the Steelers. That’s why Roethlisberger’s comments carry weight because he understands how one mistake doesn’t tell the whole story, even if fans are quick to react.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger meets with former Packers QB Aaron Rodgers before a home game.
Rodgers still has to clean up some mistakes, but the team’s struggles weren’t all on him. Looking at the game as a whole, there were several plays that could have gone the Steelers’ way but didn’t, showing just how fine the margin is in these matchups.
How concerned are you with how Aaron Rodgers and this Steelers' offense played in Week 2? Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @anthonyghalkias and follow me.
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