Aaron Rodgers made a tough situation even tougher and it set the Steelers back in the race for the AFC North
Rodgers tried to do too much and it came back to bite him against the Bills.
The world was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ oyster heading into a pivotal matchup against the Bills on Sunday. The Cincinnati Bengals took care of the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving, and Pittsburgh had a chance to add some cushion to its AFC North lead.
And for the first half of Sunday’s game, it was a close affair. Neither team took control, and the offenses were sputtering. Then came the start of the third quarter, however. A drive that could have put the Steelers up by two scores ended up flipping the momentum for the Bills and Buffalo never looked back. And it all started with the first play from scrimmage out of the half. Kyle Crabbs of A to Z Sports NFL and Rob Gregson of A to Z Sports Pittsburgh broke down the game-changing play.
Rodgers’ costly fumble was mostly his fault
“The Steelers paid the price on this play for one of Arthur Smith’s biggest quirks. Everyone knows how much Smith loves his multi-tight end packages, and to start the second half, the Steelers came out in 13-jumbo with six offensive linemen, two tight ends, a running back, and a wide receiver on the field with QB Aaron Rodgers.
Pittsburgh ran play action out of the pistol in an effort to take a shot. WR DK Metcalf ran a corner on the play but took notable time to work through the first five yards of his route, first hesitating as Bills CB Christian Benford triggered on a blitz before having to work around Bills SAF Cole Bishop, who had aggressively pushed over the top of Metcalf and threatened to jam him. Metcalf did successfully stack the coverage, but the timing of his first 10 yards, along with early pressure from Joey Bosa, forced Rodgers off his spot and disrupted any chance for a shot.
The other two eligible routes downfield were run by tight ends Darnell Washington, running a middle cross through the teeth of a crowded zone defense, and Jonnu Smith on the back side running a basic route at 10 yards that layered behind the same sea of defenders that clogged Washington’s cross. Pittsburgh’s route timing here was abysmal — the tight ends paired with Metcalf negotiating traffic didn’t really give any route a chance to win quickly as Rodgers was forced to move.
By the time Rodgers got his eyes back downfield, he really only had one option — work the ball to RB Jaylen Warren on a check-down two yards over the ball. Rodgers didn’t take the outlet, instead spiking back into the path of Bosa to try to set up to throw the basic to Smith working across the field at the sticks. He never got it off. And the rest, they say, is history.
Rodgers could have made the best of a tough personnel handcuff by taking the completion. Instead, he compounded the issue by holding the ball even longer — and did his own damage as a result that gave the Bills a lead they’d never surrender.” – Crabbs
“Kyle’s analysis of the play is a microcosm of what the Steelers’ offense has been this season. Poor spacing, no easy buttons, DBs plastering WRs, it hasn’t been a fruitful environment for any QB. But that doesn’t absolve Rodgers of blame.
He knows he has a backup LT out there, he knows his receivers struggle to separate, and he knows he has a bad left wrist. This is a play that someone with the experience of Rodgers simply can’t make. However, when your offense is as bad as the Steelers is, you start pressing, you start trying to force the issue. And then plays like this happen, and results like Sunday happen.” – Gregson
Pittsburgh Steelers News
Mike Tomlin sends a clear message to Steelers fans who were cheering for him to be fired during the loss to the Buffalo Bills
Mike Tomlin hears the chants loud and clear and shares the same level of frustration.
