Mike Tomlin and the Steelers’ defense spoil Aaron Rodgers’ historic night following an embarrassing showing against the Bengals
Totally inexcusable performance from the Steelers.
Aaron Rodgers did everything he could (outside of one wild interception) to keep the Steelers in the game on Thursday night. He threw four TDs while the game was still within reach, and he finally found Pat Freiermuth to get things going with the team’s highest-paid TE.
In doing so, he passed Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl winning QB Ben Roethlisberger for fifth all time in terms of passing yards in NFL history. Yet it still wasn’t enough to prevail and take his team over the top.
Why? Because the league’s highest-paid defense and the NFL’s longest tenured head coach let him down.
Mike Tomlin, Steelers defense let down Aaron Rodgers and the offense against the Bengals
I’m not sure where to even begin. How about the fact that the league’s highest paid defense let a 40-year-old Joe Flacco look like the guy who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens back when I was learning how to tie my shoes. He threw for 342 yards and three TDs to go with no interceptions.
How about the fact that Ja’Marr Chase had the kitchen sink thrown at him defensively (man coverage, zone coverage, Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey, double teams) thrown at him and he still looked like the second coming of Jerry Rice, as he had 23 targets, 16 catches, and 161 yards and a TD.
But you know what, Chase is the best WR in the league and Mike Tomlin warned everyone about Flacco. You know what the real disappointment was? The fact that the Steelers allowed the worst rushing attack and offensive line in the league to blow them off the ball. Over 140 yards on the ground.
Chase Brown had 108 yards and averaged nearly a first down a carry. He made the Steelers defense look like what everyone thought (rightfully so) the Cincinnati Bengals defense would look like.
But even after all that, Pat Freiermuth showed he was the Bengals grim reaper yet again after being M.I.A. all year, and Aaron Rodgers and the offense gave the Steelers’ defense the chance to end the game, and they got cooked like a Thanksgiving turkey after Tee Higgins burned Jalen Ramsey to set up the game-winning field goal.
So the Steelers are only six weeks in, 4-2, and still lead the division with everything in front of them, but this one was embarrassing.
Green Bay Packers News
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