The Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t able to complete the comeback Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns. The team erased a 14-point deficit and tied the game in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. But the Browns kicked the game-winning field goal in the last 20 seconds.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns. However, he completed just 55% of his passes and threw a second-quarter interception that flipped the first half on its head. On the interception, a Browns defender made contact with Rodgers’s arm as he delivered the pass.
Cleveland pressured Rodgers throughout the night. The Browns registered five sacks and 10 quarterback hits.
When asked what led to the pressure he faced Thursday night, the veteran quarterback provided an honest answer that allowed the receivers to share blame.
“I’m going to have to look at the film. It didn’t seem like there was a ton of guys running free,” said Rodgers. “But I’ll have to look at the film.”
D.K. Metcalf experienced a breakout game, leading the Steelers with five catches and 115 yards on nine targets. But most of Metcalf’s production came in the second half.
The Steelers scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, but that wasn’t enough in the 27-24 defeat.
With the win, the Browns improved to 3-1 and moved into sole possession of first place in the AFC North. The Steelers dropped to 2-2.
Aaron Rodgers Assigns Blame for Steelers Inconsistent Offense
It’s not fair to say Rodgers called out his pass-catchers or necessarily blamed them for the five sacks he took in the Week 4 loss. But the quarterback also didn’t hide the fact that the lack of open receivers was a problem.
The Steelers opened the game with a 17-play, 78-yard touchdown drive on their first possession. But over their next seven possessions, they scored three points. The offense punted four times, threw an interception and ended another drive with a missed field goal.
Rodgers shared the blame for the offensive struggles the unit experienced in the middle of the game.
“I would have to look at the film, but I wouldn’t say it was our cleanest game all the way around,” said Rodgers. “They’re a good defense, so you gotta give them credit. They were getting after us on some of the long yardage stuff that we weren’t winning a bunch.
“I missed some throws I usually hit.”
The Steelers offense came alive in the fourth quarter with two touchdowns. Rodgers stated Metcalf’s play was the difference for the team’s offense in the final 15 minutes.
Metcalf had three catches for 93 yards in the fourth quarter.
Roman Wilson had another nice statistical outing, recording 74 receiving yards on just three catches. He also had a touchdown.
But Metcalf and Wilson were the only Steelers pass-catchers with at least 35 receiving yards. Tight ends Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth caught touchdowns but finished with under 30 receiving yards.
Aaron Rodgers Gets Candid on Lack of Open Pass-Catchers in Browns Loss