Steelers’ Biggest Week 3 Win Is Flying Under the Radar
Hitting the road rarely makes for an easy outing in the NFL, especially against a feisty opponent within the conference. The Pittsburgh Steelers were reminded of that once again in Week 3, although they found a way to get back in the win column.
The biggest story from Sunday’s 21-14 triumph over the, however, isn’t getting mentioned enough. Pittsburgh did a much better job of keeping quarterback Aaron Rodgers safe, doing so against a good New England Patriots pass rush.
Rodgers certainly appreciates those efforts.
Aaron Rodgers Praises Offensive Line for Week 3 Efforts
Speaking to the media on Sunday afternoon, Rodgers credited the front five and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for executing a quality plan.
“It’s a group effort, and I’ve tried to take accountability the last couple weeks on sacks that were probably my fault,” Rodgers said. “Today, I moved around just enough. There are some things to clean up, but I have a lot of confidence in those guys and that Art [Smith] did a good job keeping them off balance with some different protection schemes and some moving the pocket stuff. I thought those guys played well. They were a little upset after last week. They played with a better attitude this week.”
For the first time since 2022, Rodgers didn’t get sacked at least once. According to Next Gen Stats, no lineman surrendered more than a single pressure. Although Pro Football Focus disagrees — left tackle Broderick Jones got credited with two — it’s splitting hairs. For the most part, Rodgers was able to complete his assignment without deterrence.
Don’t get it twisted: nothing was perfect. Rodgers was certainly hit on multiple occasions, with linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson managing to do so twice. The future Hall of Fame quarterback also maintained a low average depth of target (5.1 yards) on the afternoon. That naturally fosters a more efficient and quick environment for passing the ball.
Still, it’s important to keep context in mind. Rodgers was downright dreadful against pressure in Week 2’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. New England’s pass rush entered Week 3 leading the NFL in sacks with nine. Pittsburgh will chalk this one up as a victory within a victory.
Steelers Still Searching for Right Balance on Offense Entering Week 4
There’s definitely still plenty to work on, though. Despite coming away with a seven-point win, the Steelers averaged just 4.1 yards per play on offense. The Patriots mustered 5.2. If not for five turnovers (including four fumbles), who knows how successful the Drake Maye-led offense would’ve been. There’s an argument to be made that Pittsburgh’s Sunday-specific plan and subsequent execution don’t make for a sustainable path for wins.
In the passing game, Rodgers must strike a balance between assertiveness and smart play. He’s put the ball in harm’s way a bit too frequently on the year. He’s also still establishing chemistry with targets like wide receiver DK Metcalf. The emergence of Calvin Austin III for a late-game touchdown is nice, yet the overall talent level of the group remains in question.
The Steelers must also find more avenues to success on the ground. On 26 attempts in Week 3, they managed all of 64 yards. Averaging 2.5 yards per carry, with starter Jaylen Warren averaging 2.6, is dreadful. According to rbsdm.com, Pittsburgh posted a 49th percentile EPA/play mark on all rushing plays but ranked in the 32nd percentile on early-down runs. Per SumerSports, they rank 27th in rush EPA/play on the season.
Upcoming challenges against two premier defenses, the Minnesota Vikings before the bye and the Cleveland Browns after it, will be true tests.
Mike Tomlin Keeps Steelers’ Ireland Travel Schedule Under Wraps to Maintain Focus
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New England Patriots in Week 3 to improve their record to 2-1. The team must now move on quickly as they will travel across the Atlantic Ocean to Dublin, Ireland for an international contest against the Minnesota Vikings.
The next week is a whirlwind of a schedule for the Steelers, but the players didn't learn about the exact details after their most recent victory. SI’s Albert Breer spoke with Pittsburgh edge rusher T.J. Watt following their win over the Patriots. Watt explained that his head coach,
"In an effort to keep the players’ focus where it needed to be, Watt said that Tomlin kept the schedule for the trip away from them the past couple of weeks," Breer wrote
It seems that method and reasoning worked out for Tomlin and the Steelers. The team won a critical game against the Patriots. It was a game they easily could have overlooked in anticipation of the Vikings and their international matchup.
The problem, however, is now the team has a stressful week of travel ahead. The team will fly out of Pittsburgh later this week, meaning they will have very little time to acclimate before taking on the Vikings. For many of the players on the Steelers roster, this is the first time they will head overseas for an NFL game.
The last time the Steelers played internationally was in 2013 against, surprise, the Minnesota Vikings. The two teams met in the United Kingdom, and the Vikings smashed the Steelers. Only one current player on the Pittsburgh roster played in that game, and that’s defensive tackle and captain Cam Heyward.
The team hopes to avenge that 2013 loss this coming week in Dublin. The Steelers enter with a 2-1 record after they edged out the Patriots. The Vikings also enter 2-1, fresh off an absolute stomping of the Steelers’ rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite losing their starting quarterback, the Vikings have a defense that's recorded multiple sacks in every game so far. They present another intense challenge for the Steelers as they try to continue building in 2025.
