Aaron Rodgers walked off the field in Foxborough on Sunday having thrown for just 187 yards, no

Aaron Rodgers Week 2 performance against Patriots (Image via Getty Images)

New England’s defense held Pittsburgh to 3.5 yards per play and turned one of Rodgers’ fumbles into a scoop-and-score that effectively closed the game. The Steelers are averaging 3.8 yards per play, ranking at the bottom of the NFL. They have produced only two plays of at least 25 yards.

Because from the outside, there is every reason to panic. Against New England, a team that was itself rebuilding around second-year quarterback Drake Maye, Pittsburgh’s offense looked completely lost.

Postgame, he told reporters: “I have to go look at the film, but we just didn’t get into a rhythm. We had too many three-and-outs again. I don’t think there was anybody that really had an exceptional game out there. We all played below our standard. That last line is the most alarming part.

Aaron Rodgers walked off the field in Foxborough on Sunday having thrown for just 187 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and two fumbles in a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots. At 42, in what is almost certainly his final NFL season, Rodgers is running out of time to fix this. Pittsburgh has logged only 499 total yards through two games, the fewest in any season of Rodgers’ career and any season of McCarthy’s coaching career.

He was also pulled in the fourth quarter. The Steelers’ offense has averaged eight points scored per game through the first two weeks of the season — a number that does not even crack double digits. Let that sit for a moment. A four-time NFL MVP, playing alongside a rebuilt wide receiver room that includes Michael Pittman Jr. and DK Metcalf, is producing numbers that would embarrass a backup quarterback.