The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the New England Patriots by a score of 20-3 on Sunday. Pittsburgh could only muster up three points in what was an offensive disaster. The unit has now only scored one touchdown through the first two games of the season, and if things do not change quickly, there is a chance that the 2026 season is going to be very rough. The schedule for Pittsburgh only gets harder as the season goes on, and the offense is going to have to find a way to be more productive and efficient.
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Steelers' DK Metcalf and Aaron Rodgers during a home game in 2026 against the Falcons.
One thing that needs to happen for the Steelers' offense to find some success is for DK Metcalf to be the player that the franchise traded for back during the 2025 offseason. His entire tenure up until this point in Pittsburgh has been rather disappointing, especially when considering the fact that the organization gave up a second-round pick in the deal and signed him to a very lucrative extension.
Metcalf ended the 2025 season in a rough spot. He was suspended the final two games of the regular season after having a physical interaction with a fan, and he then had a crucial drop in the playoff loss to the Houston Texans. The drops have carried over into 2026 as the wide receiver has already dropped a few passes. Patriots safety Kevin Byard spoke about the wide receiver's struggles after the game.
"I don't think he had a lot of fun at all," Byard said. "I don't know how many catches he had, but it wasn't a whole lot. And any time I'm lined up in the post and I see [Christian Gonzalez] out there on the outside, I have full confidence that I don't really need to give him any [help]."
Byard is a well-respected safety in the NFL, and he is coming off a successful season with the Chicago Bears where he was named an All-Pro. He got to watch as Metcalf struggled to get anything going on Sunday, and a lot of that had to do with the fact that he was being blanketed by Christian Gonzalez at cornerback.
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Steelers' DK Metcalf makes a man miss late in a loss to the Patriots during the 2026 season.
Gonzalez has emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and he followed Metcalf all over the field on Sunday. That made the veteran wide receiver's life hard enough as it is, but toss in Metcalf's own personal struggles, and the game was a complete disaster. Metcalf had two clear drops in the game, one of which came on third down and forced the Steelers to punt.
The drops are frustrating for fans to see, but there should also be some concern that this could ruin the relationship between Metcalf and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is always very particular with his wide receivers, and he expects a lot. A consistent drop problem is going to eventually make him start to think about going elsewhere with the football. The quarterback already said he has confidence that he and Metcalf will work things out, so hopefully that is the case in Week 3.
Steelers Need Michael Pittman Jr. Back On The Field
Another factor that played into the offensive struggles for the Steelers was Michael Pittman Jr. being ruled out for the game. He missed practices throughout the week with a foot injury, and that led to him missing the matchup in Week 2. He was Pittsburgh's leading wide receiver in Week 1, and his presence was missed in New England. Not only could the Steelers have used his production, but his absence allowed the opposing secondary to focus more on just shutting down Metcalf. It worked for the Patriots as the wide receiver caught four passes for just 27 yards, but a lot of those were in garbage time.
What do you think about Byard's comments on Metcalf? Do you believe he will turn things around? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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