Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Blames Offensive Failure After Two-Game Losing Skid
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a rough stretch of the 2025 season, and the team is facing a potential three-game losing streak as it gets ready to take on the red-hot Indianapolis Colts at home in Week 9. Pittsburgh has lost its last two matchups to the Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers, and now the group has to prepare to take on arguably the best team in the league. This season can get out of hand quickly for the Steelers, and it is important that the group is able to get back on track against one of their toughest opponents of the season.
The defense for the Steelers has caught a lot of flack for the way it has performed throughout the 2025 season, but mainly over the last two weeks. The group has been completely gashed through the air by both Cincinnati and Green Bay, which is inexcusable considering the amount of resources that have been poured into that side of the ball. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers refuses to acknowledge the defensive struggles, as he believes he and the offense could do more, which is something he talked about while speaking with the media on Wednesday.
"Got to stay the course," Rodgers said. "We lost a tough one in Cincy on the short week, and then we played a good football team and had many chances to get things going. We were up 16-7 at half, our defense was playing well. Offensively, we've done a good job I think at ending some halves with points, and I'm not sure we've scored on a first possession of the second half. When you're deferring, you're expecting to have a chance to double up so to speak. That's what changes the game, the middle eight of the game we haven't played well in the second four."
Rodgers references the "middle eight," which is often what the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half are referred to. This part of the game often determines contests as teams capitalize on scoring at the end of the first half, and then come out in the second half and get more points. However, that is where Rodgers and the offense have struggles. It has been coming out of halftime and finding points.
The veteran quarterback could easily throw the defense under the bus as that side of the ball has been grotesque over the last two weeks while Rodgers and the offense have kept Pittsburgh in games. He instead focused on the failures of his group, which is encouraging to see as the team tries to fix things. The offense is already much better than what fans have grown used to in recent years, but there is hope and belief from the players that it can improve even more.
The offense of the Steelers should be able to keep the team in most games, but a better defensive performance is needed moving forward. It is unacceptable for the defense to be playing the way it has been over the last couple of weeks, and Pittsburgh can be a good team if both sides of the ball can consistently show up on game days.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Needs To Trust Aaron Rodgers More
There have been multiple instances where it has been fourth and short for the Steelers, and Head Coach Mike Tomlin has decided to kick a field goal. Rodgers has been visibly upset at the decision on several occasions, and he has a right to be. It is very hard to win in today's NFL by kicking field goals when the offense is given a short amount of yardage to get to the first down marker. The best teams in the league go for it, and the sooner Tomlin realizes that, the better off the team will be.
Insider Spills Chiefs’ Targeted Positions Ahead of NFL Trade Deadline
With mere days remaining until the 2025 NFL trade deadline, the pressure is on for all 32 teams. The Kansas City Chiefs are no different, but will general manager Brett Veach make a move?
It’s the topic of the hour locally, and some national media are weighing in on the possibility as well.
In an October 31 story for Sports Illustrated, league insider Albert Breer singled out a pair of positions, defensive tackle and running back, as spots the reigning AFC champs could target.
“The Chiefs have sniffed around on a defensive tackle and now are drilling down a little more at running back with Isiah Pacheco banged up,” Breer wrote.
Let’s dive into the state of both spots for the Chiefs with Tuesday’s Nov. 4 deadline approaching.
Is Mike Pennel Addition Enough for Chiefs’ DT Room?
Of course, the straw that stirs the drink for Kansas City’s defensive line is Chris Jones. The three-time All-Pro is in his age-31 season, yet he’s playing a whopping 81% of available snaps. He’s rewarded the team with mixed production, as his 2 sacks in eight games may seem underwhelming. When paired with 27 pressures, though, that’s far more palatable.
The loss of rookie Omarr Norman-Lott to an ACL injury didn’t help. The second-round pick was widely expected to emerge as a key piece down the stretch, thus putting the team in a bind. Derrick Nnadi is one of the worst pass rushers in the league, and his run defense has even slipped. Jerry Tillery, for all he can bring as a reserve, is exactly that.
Enter Mike Pennel? The 34-year-old requested his release from the Cincinnati Bengals and rejoined his hometown’s nearest team this week. He’s potentially an improvement over Nnadi at this stage, albeit not a full-time running mate for Jones. A trade would certainly help the Chiefs get some more upside in the middle of their defense.
Ahead of Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, Steve Spagnuolo’s defense ranks 20th in ESPN’s pass rush win rate. Their 25% run stop win rate is dead last out of all 32 teams.
A No. 6 ranking in pressure rate makes things look better than they are in reality. Spagnuolo blitzes, oftentimes out of necessity, and it sometimes still doesn’t work. Kansas City is 24th in pressure to sack rate at 17.9%. Better production from a non-George Karlaftis defensive end would be nice, sure, but the premium to acquire that is surely steep.
Is the cost for a solid tackle more affordable? Maybe.
Does Kansas City Have Enough at RB to Win in Playoffs?
The running back dynamic is interesting. There’s a case to be made that even before Isiah Pacheco got hurt, the Chiefs could’ve benefitted from an injection of talent. They don’t generate explosive runs and are ineffective in several other areas.
A solution for Week 9 isn’t coming from the trade market. Kansas City has already ruled Pacheco out, and his MCL sprain renders him week-to-week. Once he’s able to return, is he worth backing as a lead option? Although he’s posting a career-best 59% success rate on the ground, other advanced metrics aren’t as kind. Per NFL Pro, the fourth-year man is worth -6.5 rush EPA on the year.
What about backup Kareem Hunt, who’s produced +11 EPA? That’s great, but Hunt is primarily a short-yardage piece. If the Chiefs need a third- or fourth-down conversion or a jolt at the goal line, he’s excellent. He lacks any sort of burst, though, as evidenced by his 1.61% mark in explosive rushes. That’s 39th out of 40 running backs with 50+ attempts, per SumerSports.
Rookie Brashard Smith is interesting, yet not ready for a serious workload. The seventh-round pick is a far better pass catcher than rusher. He averages 8.7 yards per reception, as opposed to an ugly 3.0 yards per carry. He’s the only Kansas City halfback with a lower rushing yards over expected mark (-15) than Pacheco (-14) in 2025.
There’s no denying that a running back addition could be just what the Chiefs need, and there figures to be no shortage of avenues to make that happen. Whether they’re realistic, however, remains to be seen.
If Breer’s reporting is any indication, Veach and his staff are weighing all of that as the sands pass through the trade deadline hourglass.
