When the Patriots and Steelers spent the early part of Week 2 struggling to put points on the board, the game briefly turned into something much stranger than a standard NFL drive. What unfolded midway through the second quarter was less a clean sequence of football and more a live-action gag reel.
Pittsburgh had worked its way across midfield and was nudging toward the red zone when the possession suddenly unraveled. On third-and-seven, Rodgers dropped back to pass and then got hit by Christian Elliss, forcing the ball loose. Once it hit the turf, the play went completely sideways.
The ball bounced and skittered about 36 yards behind the line of scrimmage, and New England looked ready to fall on it. Dre'Mont Jones and Christian Gonzalez both got hands on it, but neither could secure it. The ball kept slipping away until it finally settled at the 39-yard line, where Troy Fautanu dove in to recover it for Pittsburgh, ending up flat on his back with bodies converging around him.
The result was a ridiculous shift from 3rd & 7 to 4th & 43.
Patriots defense pushed the Steelers back from 3rd & 7 to 4th & 43 😳
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It was the kind of sequence that looked cartoonish, chaotic and downright bizarre all at once. The play that caused it may not have been much on its own, but the aftermath was the sort of thing that makes people stop and watch again.
In Other News...
Aaron Rodgers Just Created Another Steelers Distraction Off The Field
Aaron Rodgers spent part of a recent podcast revisiting the end of his broken engagement to Shailene Woodley, and the discussion quickly spilled into the kind of off-field conversation that can follow a quarterback anywhere. Rodgers said Woodley asked for permission to be with another man shortly after his proposal, a revelation that immediately pushed the story beyond a private breakup and into the public debate that tends to follow high-profile athletes.
Joy Taylor then took Rodgers to task on her show for choosing to air those details, and the reaction online split just as quickly as the topic itself. Woodley has mostly stayed silent, while Rodgers keeps his attention on football, but the episode still added another layer of noise around a player whose every word tends to travel well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Run Game Concern Just Got Even More Serious
Pittsburghs run game was already under a bright light after a sluggish start through the first two weeks, and Sunday only added to the concern. Late in the first half against the New England Patriots, running back Rico Dowdle exited after suffering a toe injury on a sack-fumble play, leaving the Steelers to sort through another setback in a ground attack that has not provided much help.
Dowdle was listed as questionable to return, and if he cannot, Jaylen Warren is the next man up to handle most of the carries. For a Steelers offense still looking for consistency on the ground, losing another back in the middle of a game only sharpens the focus on how quickly the rushing plan can stabilize. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Suddenly Have A Protection Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Steelers left Week 2 with more than a lopsided 20-3 loss in New England. Aaron Rodgers was held to 23 completions on 39 attempts for 187 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception, and the bigger concern was how often the Patriots got to him. Pittsburghs offensive line gave up four sacks and spent much of the afternoon looking unable to settle the pocket or give the passing game any rhythm.
Now the focus shifts to how the Steelers respond up front. The team is reportedly weighing changes along the offensive line, with rookies Max Iheanachor and Gennings Dunker among the players who could see more time as the staff searches for better protection. Rodgers is expected to stay in place at quarterback, which only raises the urgency of finding answers before a shaky front turns into a season-long issue. [Read more 🡒]