Week 2 was one of the rougher watches in recent memory for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They totaled just 235 yards, 75 of which came when the game was already out of reach late in the fourth quarter. How did they grade as a team? Let’s dive in.
QB Aaron Rodgers
Jarrett Bailey: Rodgers isn’t in the most ideal of situations, as his offensive line was brutal in Week 2, and his top target has more notable drops than receptions this season. This isn’t to say that if he was behind the Broncos’ offensive line he would be perfect,
but he’d likely put up better showings. That said, he is 31st in EPA per play, and his success rate when pressured sits at just 24th. He can’t do it himself, but that doesn’t mean he’s been good, either. Grade: C-
Joey Bray: Listen, I am well aware that Rodgers has been let down by his receivers and offensive line consistently throughout these first two games. However, that doesn’t excuse how lackluster Rodgers was yesterday. The veteran quarterback’s-42.12 EPA through two weeks is the worst mark of any quarterback in the NFL. The fact is, nothing about the Pittsburgh offense is watchable right now. Rodgers is not even close to the biggest issue on the offense, but he certainly didn’t help them yesterday. Grade: D
Offensive Line
Jarrett Bailey: I touched on the poor offensive line play on Monday. Spencer Anderson allowed seven pressures – no other right guard allowed more than four. Dylan Cook has been dreadful through two games, as well. Max Iheanachor and Brock Hoffman/Gennings Dunker should get starting nods in Week 3. If Dunker doesn’t start, he should at least get a helmet over Anderson. Maybe that will lead to an actual run game being developed and more time for Rodgers to get through more than one read before running for his life. Grade: F
Joey Bray: Nothing about the Steelers offensive line looked good in Week 2. The right side of the offensive line needs wholesale changes at the very least. Dylan Cook has been given two starts after an abysmal preseason and has shown no signs of growth. Pittsburgh has their first-round pick in Max Iheanachor just waiting on the bench for an opportunity. Spencer Anderson allowed seven pressures against the Patriots. It was not a good showing for anyone on the line, as Zach Frazier and Troy Fautanu did not look particularly great either. The offensive line needs some new faces on the right side before we can start to feel any kind of confidence in them. Grade: F
WR DK Metcalf
Jarrett Bailey: It’s just sad at this point, man. Eight catches for 67 yards through two games while making $33 million per year. Should 2026 be another disappointment as a whole, the Steelers need to eat the $36 million dead cap hit in 2027 and move on from Metcalf. Right now, he’s that bad. Grade: F
Joey Bray: I would probably write something about how Metcalf needs to be benched if the options behind him weren’t just as bad. Metcalf has been targeted 19 times this season and has managed just eight receptions for 67 yards. Rodgers has a 29.9 passer rating when targeting his top receiver. Many things need to change with this offense, and one of them needs to be how many targets Metcalf is getting. Until he proves that he can hold onto the ball consistently, it is in the best interest of the Steelers to continue to involve their rookie wideout Germie Bernard, and continue to expand Michael Pittman Jr.’s role when he returns. Grade: F
WR Germie Bernard
Jarrett Bailey: It was refreshing to see Bernard get targeted early and often. He caught three of his four passes on one drive, including a 19-yard pass on 3rd-and-8. He did have a pass bounce off his chest for an interception late in the fourth quarter, but the game was decided at that point. The arrow is pointing up for the rookie, and hopefully this is a sign that he’ll be a growing part of the offense. Grade: B
Joey Bray: The statline of four catches for 35 yards doesn’t exactly jump off the page, but Bernard paced the Steelers’ passing attack in Week 2. The toughness and ability after the catch were apparent in the 8 targets the rookie got in the contest. It is in the best interest of the offense moving forward that Bernard is continually more involved in the passing attack. The second-round pick has all of the tools to emerge as a serious threat in the Steelers’ passing attack that they need desperately. Grade: A
Defense
Jarrett Bailey: The Steelers’ defense has been terrific through two weeks, and played up to par against the Patriots. New England’s offense scored just 13 points and the Steelers forced two turnovers while sacking Drake Maye three times. Yes, there were a pair of chunk plays, but those are going to happen to just about every defense when you play a quality offense. The pass rush has been great, and the secondary has done perfectly fine without Joey Porter Jr. As it currently stands, Pittsburgh leads the NFL in defensive EPA per play. Grade: A
Joey Bray: Overall, it’s hard to be too upset with the Steelers defense after Week 2. The unit held the Patriots offense to 13 points and really kept Pittsburgh within striking distance for much of the first three quarters. The edge rushers continue to dominate, as TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Jack Sawyer all hand their fingerprints all over this game. I am slightly concerned with how this secondary could potentially look without Joey Porter Jr. in Week 3 after giving up several downfield chunk plays in this contest. I continue to be impressed with the play of Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen through two contests, as the two both are showing improvement through two contests. Grade: B
Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
- Troy Fautanu seen in walking boot after loss to Patriots
- Joey Porter Jr rejected $27 million per year deal, per report
- The morning after: Steelers need to make sweeping offensive line changes
- DK Metcalf has one of the worst contracts in the NFL
- Steelers stock report after embarrassing loss to Patriots
