Quarterback Aaron Rodgers blamed himself for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 9. Rodgers put up just 161 passing yards and a touchdown against two interceptions and a safety in the 25-10 loss.
Rodgers said the offense couldn’t get anything going, but laid the blame squarely at his feet for missing several key throws that could have given the offense a chance.
“I missed obviously some throws for sure, and then we weren’t getting guys open and putting it altogether. Times some guys were open, I missed some throws I usually make.”
Rodgers missed a handful of throws on third and fourth down that could have changed the game entirely. Early in the first quarter, Rodgers scrambled out of pressure and threw a bomb to a streaking Metcalf, who had a step on safety Elijah Molden; the ball sailed over Metcalf’s head. Early in the second quarter, Rodgers hit running back Kenneth Gainwell on a checkdown; Gainwell was immediately pushed out of bounds.
With just under 6 minutes left in the second quarter, Rodgers heaved another deep shot to wideout Calvin Austin, which was batted away by corner Nikko Reed.
He was sacked midway through the third quarter on a 3rd and 2. Later in the third quarter, Rodgers overthrew Metcalf, who was roughed up by Chargers defenders, though no flag was thrown. On a 3rd and 6 in the red zone early in the 4th quarter, he ripped an ugly pass that sailed over the head of Gainwell; on the next play, Metcalf missed a goal-line fade.
“I probably should have thrown the other side,” Rodgers said of the fourth-down throw to Metcalf. “He was double[-covered]. I should have thrown it more back-shoulder or maybe worked the other side.”
Rodgers also made a couple of bad mistakes that cost the offense. With a little over 5 minutes left in the first quarter, Rodgers dropped deep out of the shotgun. He danced out of a sack from Chargers defensive end Khalil Mack, but lost the football and fell on it in the end zone for a safety.
“I didn’t really see anybody open, and I felt like when I stepped up, I saw Mack, and I didn’t realize that he had kind of lost touch with [offensive tackle] Troy [Fautanu]. I should have just thrown the ball at somebody’s feet there.”
His first interception came just before the two-minute warning. He overthrew Metcalf on a seam route over the middle, and safety R.J. Mickens caught the ball in his bread basket. The interception set up the Chargers’ first touchdown.
The second pick came in the fourth quarter. Rodgers threw to a wide-open Calvin Austin, but the ball bounced off his hands and into the waiting arms of cornerback Donte Jackson.
The blame did not fall squarely on Rodgers. Kicker Chris Boswell missed a field goal in the second quarter, and receiver KeShawn Williams muffed a punt late in the game, setting up a Los Angeles field goal. The Steelers also failed to establish the run, totaling just 73 yards on the ground.
Rodgers said the game was one of the occasions where the offense “couldn’t quite get over the hump” and sustain drives, but put the blame squarely on himself.
“I expect to play great every single week, and this was not my best performance,” he said. “I got to play better than this for us to win. Whatever it takes, if it’s better checks, if it’s better throws, whatever it is, I got to play better. I will. ... There are ebbs and flows. There’s ups and downs and we can’t ride the wave. I felt like our energy—and it starts with me—it wasn’t as great on offense. I feel like we were just kind of struggling a little bit, couldn’t get a play to get going.”
