Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a tough defeat against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10, falling 25-10. While no coach is ever happy after a loss, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin appeared particularly irritated following the game.
Tomlin was highly critical of the team’s third-down offense and the unit’s three turnovers. The Steelers managed just 221 total yards, converted only 3 of 11 third-down attempts, and gave the ball away three times. Despite his general frustration with the offense, Tomlin was unwilling to publicly criticize his quarterback.
When asked to assess Rodgers’ performance, Tomlin dismissed the question with a sharp glare and a curt remark: “How would you? Next.”
### Rodgers’ Struggles at the Helm
Aaron Rodgers delivered perhaps the worst performance of his season. He completed just 50% of his passes, going 16 of 31 for 161 yards. Rodgers averaged only 5.2 yards per attempt and threw two interceptions. His lone touchdown came late in the fourth quarter to Roman Wilson, when the Steelers were already trailing by 22 points. Rodgers also took three sacks, one leading to a safety against Pittsburgh.
### Missed Opportunities Early in the Game
Things started to slip away for the Steelers in the second half, but for much of the first two quarters, Pittsburgh controlled the tempo. Unfortunately, Rodgers failed to capitalize on key opportunities that he had managed to convert earlier this season.
On the second drive, the 41-year-old missed a deep throw to D.K. Metcalf that could have resulted in a touchdown. Instead, the Steelers settled for a field goal. Later in the second quarter, Rodgers completed a high pass to tight end Jonnu Smith, but a replay review overturned the catch to an incomplete pass. Similar to Metcalf, Smith was wide open, but Rodgers’ throw was just too high. The Steelers’ ensuing field goal attempt was missed.
If Rodgers had connected on those crucial passes, the game could have unfolded quite differently. But in the NFL, “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve” rarely changes the outcome.
### Offensive Efficiency Was Missing
Through the first eight games, Rodgers had been delivering efficient throws and helping the Steelers maintain a high scoring rate despite limited attempts and yardage. However, in Week 10, the offense lacked that usual efficiency.
With few opportunities and little productivity, Pittsburgh’s offense struggled to generate points, resulting in a predictable low-scoring output.
### Mike Tomlin Promises the Steelers ‘We’ll Be Back’
Despite his frustration and the disappointing loss by two touchdowns, Coach Tomlin remained confident during his postgame press conference. He assured fans that the Steelers would regroup and come back stronger moving forward.
“We’ll be back,” Tomlin said, emphasizing his belief in the team’s resilience.
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The Steelers will look to bounce back quickly after this setback as the season continues. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers and the offense will need to find their rhythm again to help Pittsburgh remain competitive.
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