Steelers Fall Flat Against Bills as Rodgers, Team Search for Answers
Sunday was one of those afternoons Pittsburgh fans would rather forget. The Steelers took a tough loss to the Bills, and the frustration was written all over the field-and Aaron Rodgers’ face. Literally.
Rodgers exited the third quarter bloodied after taking a shot to the nose, and things didn’t get any easier from there. Defensive lineman Cam Heyward said he took a knee to the stomach from Josh Allen during the chaos, and to cap it all off, the home crowd turned on the team.
Even the usually raucous "Renegade" moment-Pittsburgh’s signature rally cry-was met with boos instead of energy. That tells you everything about where this team is right now.
With the loss, the Steelers drop to 6-6 and slide out of the AFC playoff picture, now sitting second in the AFC North. For a team that started 4-1 and looked like a legitimate contender, the recent slide-five losses in seven games-has been jarring.
Aaron Rodgers was not pleased with the media's questions tonight. pic.twitter.com/tx1QZElSVu
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 1, 2025
Rodgers, who’s been at the center of this roller coaster, faced a pointed question after the game about the team’s lack of urgency: Was it coaching? Preparation? He didn’t take the bait.
“I know what you're trying to ask and I'm not going to go down that road at all,” Rodgers said after a long pause and a sip of water. “I believe in the coaching staff.
I believe in Mike Tomlin. It's why I came here.
Players need to take accountability. Myself included.
And I will. And I will continue to.
I gotta play better.”
That’s a veteran answer from a quarterback who’s seen enough to know finger-pointing doesn’t fix anything. But Rodgers also knows this offense hasn’t been consistent enough.
He’s thrown 17 touchdowns on the year, but nearly half of those came in just two games. He’s also had three multi-interception games, and the broken bone in his hand hasn’t helped matters.
The bigger issue? The offense just hasn’t found a rhythm.
Whether it’s protection breakdowns, missed timing with receivers, or turnovers at the worst possible moments, this group hasn’t looked like the one that opened the season with promise. And Rodgers, for all his experience and leadership, hasn’t been able to steady the ship.
There’s still time, but the margin for error is razor-thin. The AFC playoff race is crowded, and at 6-6, Pittsburgh is now on the outside looking in.
The defense is still capable of making big plays, but they can’t carry the load alone. Rodgers knows that.
Tomlin knows that. And the fans-who made their feelings known Sunday-definitely know that.
The Steelers have some soul-searching to do, and it starts with their quarterback. Rodgers has been through late-season pushes before.
The question now is whether this team can rally behind him and rediscover the urgency that fueled their hot start. Because if they can’t, that early promise could fade into another season of what-ifs.