Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense couldn’t get much of anything going in Week 2, and that has a lot to do with the style of defense the Seattle Seahawks played. They were able to create a lot of pressure on Rodgers without sending more than a four-man rush, which allowed them to keep seven in coverage to shut down Rodgers’ passing attack.
Brian Baldinger broke it down on X and says the Steelers’ OL got owned Sunday on its own turf.
“I thought Seattle’s front four dominated the Steelers start to finish in this game,” Baldinger said. “It was just relentless pressure throughout the day…No need to blitz, four-man rush. The defensive line, they dominated the Steelers up front.”
Just watch any of the many examples that Baldinger included in his clip below.
Rodgers actually moved around pretty well in this game and escaped pressure to make good throws multiple times. But the Steelers can’t expect a 41-year-old to play Houdini for a full 60 minutes.
Seattle dared Pittsburgh to win on the ground, and it wasn’t able to. It was slightly more efficient than Week 1 with 72 yards on 21 carries as a team. Jaylen Warren had pockets throughout the game where he ran very well, but it was nowhere near good enough considering that’s what the Seahawks were giving them as they sold out to stop the pass.
While Rodgers was sacked three times rather than the four he was last week, Seattle managed eight quarterback hits, and he was under pressure all day. They took away the quick pass and screen game, and the Steelers offense was suddenly incapable of sustaining drives or putting up points. If it wasn’t for two takeaways by their defense, the Steelers may not have scored double-digit points.
The allure of bringing Rodgers to Pittsburgh was that he could be just another piece of the puzzle. The Steelers supposedly didn’t need him to play hero. But that’s exactly what’s been asked of him through two weeks. The offensive line continues to be substandard at pass blocking and paving the way for the run, and the only offense they can generate is Rodgers winding back the clock 10 years.
The Seahawks just put out the blueprint on how to neutralize the Steelers’ offense. Expect more teams to follow suit until the Steelers prove they can effectively run the ball and shut down a four-man rush.
