A quick glance at the box score from the Pittsburgh Steelers' season opener might suggest an offensive attack stuck in neutral. However, film study and game flow tell a far more encouraging story. Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy’s offense was only a few razor-thin margins away from hanging 35 points on the board.
While casual observers focused on the low-scoring total, host Christopher Carter and his guest Alan Saunders emphasized on the “Locked on Steelers” podcast that the structural growth was obvious. Pittsburgh routinely pushed the ball downfield and attacked high-value areas, creating explosive play opportunities that simply did not exist in previous seasons.
As Saunders highlighted, the difference between a modest point total and an offensive
blowout came down to execution and officiating rather than a flawed scheme.
"If you're looking for differences in the way the team is being coached, look at the intent of the execution," Saunders explained. "DK Metcalf catches that post and takes off for a touchdown if they accurately call the defensive pass interference on Metcalf that was Terrell. Roman Wilson makes what would have been a very difficult catch, but a makeable catch in the end zone. Now all of a sudden the Steelers have 35 points. Those are real narrow margins there. But the Steelers weren't even trying to make those plays before."
Carter agreed, noting that while the offense did not post huge numbers, the intentional shift in play design proves this unit is operating with a fundamentally different mindset.
Rather than playing conservatively to protect the defense, Pittsburgh actively hunted big plays. Uncalled penalties and near-misses in the end zone kept the scoreboard quiet, but the process was sound. As Rodgers and his targets build chemistry, those narrow margins will convert into points, turning subtle structural growth into an explosive reality.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Why the Steelers offense was closer to 35 points than you think
