The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be reflecting on quite a bit after an embarrassing loss to the New England Patriots in Week 2. The loss was embarrassing in the fact that the offense looked completely helpless on the field and could not get anything going. This was a game many believed the Steelers were supposed to lose as the Patriots represented the AFC in the Super Bowl less than a year ago, but fans in Pittsburgh definitely did not think the game would look as bad as it did. All the Steelers could muster up was three points on the day, and the optimism for the 2026 season seems to be at an all-time low.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers speaks with new head coach Mike McCarthy as the two work something out during a 2026 training camp practice being held at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
There was not a single component of the offense that looked good for the Steelers against the Patriots, which is concerning considering the franchise brought in an offensive-minded head coach in Mike McCarthy. The fan base was definitely hoping that the beginning of McCarthy's tenure would look a little bit better offensively, but that has not been the case. Offensive players were a bit dejected after the embarrassing loss, and tight end Pat Freiermuth spoke to the media in the locker room and talked about reevaluating how the team goes about things during the week.
"We got to do the small, little details," Freiermuth said. "I mean, people got to reflect on their process throughout the week and see how they can better themselves, so when we get out into a game type of situation, we can execute and stay on track. But we're not far off. I mean it's Week 2, we just got to continue to go out there and not shoot ourselves in the foot. I feel like it's year after year I keep saying that. But I think we have the right formula and the right guys in the locker room."
Freiermuth didn't just speak about the failure to execute during games; he also brought up everyone's individual process throughout the week of preparation. That is more concerning. Teams and players have bad days and bad games, but if the process is what is being questioned, then the problem is bigger than just an issue of execution.
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Steelers' Pat Freiermuth scores a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 of the 2026 season.
The Steelers have gone through more organizational change in the last eight months than the nearly two decades before them. There was the typical turnover on the roster, but the coaching change has been something that many fans have begged for. It finally happened as Mike Tomlin stepped down, but it has not gone how many fans might have hoped thus far. McCarthy's offense has been one of the worst in the NFL through the first two weeks of the season, which is quite surprising considering the organization finally decided to hire an offensive-minded head coach.
Steelers Won't Panic Just Yet
Freiermuth seemed to have confidence that the offensive issues will get fixed moving forward, and both McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers were calm when talking about potential changes after the loss. Rodgers emphasized the fact that he won't be panicking, but he did say that it might be time to operate with some more urgency. This means during the week and on game days, which supports Freiermuth's point that the approach throughout the week might need to change.
McCarthy also mentioned that he is probably going to cut down on the volume of the game plan. This means making it a bit more basic until the offense can perfect that. Later on in the year, it might be time to revisit the game plan and make it more expansive, but right now the group needs to focus on perfecting all of the little things. The Steelers will now begin planning for the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, which is a big game for the AFC North.
What do you think about these comments from Freiermuth? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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