Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Blames Offensive Attack For Crushing Defeat

The Pittsburgh Steelers went into the Wild Card Round hoping to finally get over the hump and prove their status as a true threat in the AFC. The only thing they did was reinforce narratives in their 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans. They were only down 7-6 at the end of the third quarter, so there was definitely a chance. However, both sides of the ball completely collapsed in the final frame as they allowed 23 points, with two defensive touchdowns, and two offensive scores for Houston to run away with the game. 

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been praised as a great leader all season long. However, his postgame press conference told a different story. He did what numerous fans feared he would do back in the preseason: blame everyone but himself. 

"We had a lot of chances," Rodgers said. "We had plays set up with missed assignments, we had opportunities to take shots, but not enough time, we just didn't make the most of the little opportunities."

Rodgers came out swinging in this press conference as he threw his receiving core and offensive line under the bus. Sure, they did not play great, but neither did he, and he should be pointing the finger at himself first before talking about how everyone around him did not do their job. This is most likely his last game in the NFL, so it's also his last day as the leader of the offense, and he goes out with an absolute whimper. 

Yes, there were issues with the receivers. On the very first drive, Rodgers was seen getting upset at running back Kenneth Gainwell after a misconnection, as it seems like he believed his running back ran the wrong route — which led to a stalled drive and a punt. There were other poor throws that may or may not have been due to missed assignments, as the veteran quarterback claims. 

The offensive line was not great either. Right tackle Troy Fautanu had his toughest matchup of the year, and he looked like a rookie out there. He still has time to develop into an elite pass blocker, but that was not a good game at all from him blocking the edge. He was one-on-one with either of the two elite Texans edge rushers all night long, and it was very ugly to watch from start to finish. He needs to study that game a lot in the offseason. 

That all is true, but Rodgers was also not impressive. He was missing reads all game long and he struggled with his pocket presence. He had a quarterback rating of 50.8, and that was also very close to his completion percentage. Putting up only six points when your defense gets you three takeaways is a recipe for disaster, especially since two of them occurred in Texans’ territory. He is the leader, so it should all start with him. 

Rodgers was brought in to lead the Steelers into the postseason and turn them into a legitimate threat with his high football IQ. Unfortunately, his constant screaming and yelling at his own teammates did not help matters. There are very few performances worse than this one for the veteran. He has to own up to it and take the blame for his guys.

Steelers Continue To Ride The Quarterback Carousel

With Rodgers' likely retirement, the Steelers will once again go into the offseason with loads of uncertainty at the quarterback position. Every year since 2022, there has been a brand-new starter for Week 1. There are a couple intriguing options in free agency, but the draft does not look very promising. Mason Rudolph is also an in-house option, and the likely favorite to come back.

What do you think about Rodgers throwing his offense under the bus? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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