Beer We Go Steelers

What a difference one week makes, after scoring a paltry three points in an embarrassing loss at New England, the Steelers put up 30 on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Glimpses of the Head Coach Mike McCarthy offense have begun to show. He had a good early rhythm with his play-calling that staked the Steelers to early leads, and Aaron Rodgers set the tone right out of the gate with some precision throws for big plays. Rodgers was a perfect 3-for-3 on the opening drive, capping it off with a pretty ball to Roman Wilson for a 38-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the game. On the first three drives, Rodgers was 10-for-14 as Pittsburgh built a 17-10 lead.

The Bengals’ pass rush got to him a couple of times in the second half, but Rodgers finished 19-for-34 for 292 yards and three touchdowns. His lone interception was a perfect pass that Wilson dropped and landed right in the hands of Bengals safety Jordan Battle, who returned it to near midfield to set up a Cincinnati score just before halftime. The pressure was on the offense after two bad games to start the season, and Rodgers made sure his unit jumped the Bengals off the bus.

The Steelers leaned on Jaylen Warren early and late, and he responded with one of the best games of his career. Getting the bulk of the workload with Rico Dowdle out, Warren had 176 yards from scrimmage and turned in big play after big play. He’ll have to live with getting caught from behind on a couple of plays and tripping over the fifteen-yard line short of the end zone late in the game, but he was the driving force behind the offense. The run game got going early and opened up the passing game for Rodgers, that’s exactly how McCarthy designed the offense and it worked perfectly.

Pittsburgh had five players with receptions of 20 yards or more, including Darnell Washington’s 47-yard catch-and-run that set up the game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter. Backed up at their own 21-yard line, Rodgers flipped a pass short to Washington, who tiptoed down the sideline all the way to the Bengals’ 32. Washington led all Steelers receivers with 67 yards. Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek, and DK Metcalf all caught touchdown passes, with Skowronek grabbing his first TD reception since Week 1 of last season.

There were still mistakes that need to be addressed. Metcalf was called for holding twice, including one that wiped out an 87-yard run by Warren. There are also still hiccups with the overall offensive operation. The Steelers blew through their three first-half timeouts by the midpoint of the second quarter because they couldn’t get the play call communicated in time, and they had to burn timeouts again in the second half in similar situations. It didn’t haunt them yesterday, but there will be games where they’ll desperately need those timeouts.

The changes on the offensive line seemed to eliminate some of the pass protection issues from the first two weeks. Brock Hoffman and Max Iheanachor made their first starts of the season and kept Rodgers clean for the most part. Dexter Lawrence had two second-half sacks, but there were clean pockets for most of the afternoon. Meanwhile, the tandem of Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick paved the way for Warren, whose best runs came on the left side. The Steelers averaged 6.0 yards per carry, and it would have been higher if not for Metcalf’s holding penalty.

On defense, the Steelers’ only sack of the game came in the final minute, but boy, did Derrick Harmon make it count. With the Bengals driving for the potential tying or winning score, the second-year defensive lineman strip-sacked Joe Burrow. Sebastian Joseph-Day recovered the fumble, saving the game for Pittsburgh.

Burrow got rid of the ball so quickly that it neutralized edge rushers T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. The key on the Harmon fumble was that the edge rushers stayed in their rush lanes, giving Burrow no avenue to escape the pocket. Inside linebacker Patrick Queen led the defense with 13 tackles. It was a quiet day for Cam Heyward (1 tackle) and Keeanu Benton (0 tackles), and Bengals back Chase Brown averaged 4.7 yards per carry, though his longest run was held to 13 yards.

This was also the first time the Steelers truly missed cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Just before halftime, Tee Higgins bodied up Asante Samuel Jr. in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown, using his six-inch height advantage to box him out. Samuel was also in coverage when Ja’Marr Chase caught a 3-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Rookie Daylen Everette replaced Samuel for much of the second half to counter the size mismatch. On Cincinnati’s go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth, a blown coverage on 4th-and-2 allowed tight end Mike Gesicki to get behind the defense for an easy score. In the end, Burrow is one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, and the defense held him under 300 yards when it mattered most.

On special teams, Skowronek recovered a muffed punt early in the fourth quarter, leading to Chris Boswell’s game-tying field goal. Boswell was a perfect 3-for-3 on the day, including two clutch kicks in the fourth quarter. However, special teams coach Danny Crossman has to address a leaky kickoff coverage unit that allowed 26.3 yards per return, leading to 10 Bengals points off favorable starting field position. Meanwhile, returner Kaden Wetjen needs to run more vertically up the field rather than bouncing returns outside.

It wasn’t completely seamless, but finding a way to beat a division rival on the road after a brutal week is a massive step forward.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: Jaylen Warren. He was the absolute engine of the offense today with 176 yards from scrimmage, setting the tone on the ground and opening up the entire playbook for Rodgers. Also Considered: Derrick Harmon for the game-saving strip-sack on Burrow, and Aaron Rodgers for bouncing back sharply with 3 TDs.

Steel the Snacks: I am traveling on business so watched the game at a corporate event.

My stat of the week: 6.0 yards per carry. After struggling to establish any semblance of a ground attack over the first two weeks, the Steelers averaged 6.0 yards per rush against the Bengals, a mark that would have been significantly higher if not for Warren’s wiped-out 87-yarder.

My thoughts on next week: As in three days, the Steelers head to Cleveland to battle the Browns. Todd Monken is going to be out for blood, after former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called the Browns out. Opposing offensive coordinators are going to try to mimic Cincinnati’s quick passing game to neutralize the pass rush. It’s going to be up to defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to come up with a counter and get his best playmakers in position to affect the game. On offense, if McCarthy continues to let Warren drive the bus and keeps Rodgers in a rhythm early, this team can build some real momentum.

Mike McCarthy might be calling the shots now, but if you squinted at your TV on Sunday, you would have sworn Matt Canada was still holding the play sheet. Through two games, the Steelers’ offense has found the end zone exactly one time. Ironically, the defense has scored just as many touchdowns.

Aaron Rodgers turns 43 on December 2nd, but if this offensive line doesn’t figure it out, he’s not going to be around to celebrate it. Rodgers was asked to drop back 43 times against New England, and he took an absolute beating. He finished the day 23-39, for 187 Yards and an interception which was not his fault, and he capped the play off with a tough tackle.

Rodgers has to play better, but it’s hard to make things happen when you’re running for your life. The right side of the line is a liability right now. Spencer Anderson and Dylan Cook are simply not getting the job done. Anderson’s holding penalty wiped out a crucial midfield catch early in the fourth quarter, and on the very next play, he was bullied by Christian Barmore for a strip-sack that turned into a Patriots touchdown.

It’s not just the depth guys struggling, either. General Manager Omar Khan has poured heavy draft capital into this unit, and the communication is still broken. Center Zach Frazier admitted he missed a call to Troy Fautanu, leaving Christian Elliss completely unblocked. The result? A brutal blindside hit on Rodgers, a fumble, and three points wiped off the board. Why wouldn’t the Steelers look at Max Iheanachor and Brock Hoffman, because the current setup is a medical emergency waiting to happen.

The coaching staff loves the running back rotation, but when you are on the road with an offense devoid of reliable playmakers, you have to feed your best guys early. Right now, Jaylen Warren is the best player on this offense. He only touched the ball 11 times for 43 very hard fought yards.

Instead, the staff gave Rico Dowdle the start. A two-run, three-yard opening series resulted in a quick punt, setting the tone for the day. Dowdle finished with 7 carries for 22 yards and two catches for 22 yards. Warren is the undeniable sparkplug. He finished with 77 total yards on 13 touches (43 rushing, 34 receiving). It’s time for McCarthy to lean on Warren to get this offense in gear.

Speaking of leaning on the run: through two games, the offense has called 79 pass plays to just 44 run plays. Asking a 42-year-old quarterback to shoulder that kind of unbalanced volume behind a leaky line is a recipe for disaster.

Giving DK Metcalf the biggest free-agent contract in team history is quickly becoming the worst move of Omar Khan’s tenure. Trading away George Pickens and giving DK the money just is a glaring issue right now.

Metcalf isn’t playing like a big playmaker; he barely looks like a WR2 right now. He finished Sunday with a paltry 4 catches for 27 yards and added two more brutal drops to his resume. With Michael Pittman Jr. sidelined with a foot injury, the team had to turn to rookie Germie Bernard. Bernard actually led the team in receiving yards, but his fourth-quarter bobble turned into an interception, killing a potential scoring drive.

Patrick Graham’s defense did enough to keep Pittsburgh in the game for three quarters. The pass rush made its presence felt, T.J. Watt dominated again with 1.5 sacks, bringing his season total to 3.5. Half of his total from last year. Alex Highsmith added a sack of his own. Nick Herbig forced a fumble on the opening drive. Patrick Queen picked off Drake Maye in the third quarter. Derrick Harmon was a bright spot inside, leading the team with 8 tackles and half a sack.

But the run defense was leaky at best. TreVeyon Henderson and the Patriots gashed the defense for 136 rushing yards, mostly between the tackles. Queen and Payton Wilson have to be stouter at the second level. Henderson’s 39-yard touchdown run right through the guts of the defense, where he went completely untouched, was a massive failure, aided by missed tackles from Asante Samuel Jr. and Rayshawn Jenkins.

The secondary gave up too many chunk plays. Jenkins let Romeo Doubs get behind him for a 63-yard field-flipper, and Jaquan Brisker was badly beaten by Hunter Henry for a 29-yard gain. You can’t give up those kinds of explosive plays to a Patriots offense that didn’t even have A.J. Brown on the field.

The special teams also are underwhelming after two weeks.

The Steelers miss James Pierre as a gunner. Brandin Echols is struggling in the role, missing tackles on New England’s first two punt returns (costing the team 19 crucial yards in field position on the second).

Even Chris Boswell was mortal on Sunday, missing a 57-yarder before connecting from 56. While it certainly isn’t time to panic, he now missed from 50+ in back-to-back weeks. The only unmitigated bright spot on special teams was punter Cam Johnston, who booted the ball 8 times for a booming 48.1-yard average, pinning the Pats inside the 20 three different times.

This offense needs wholesale changes on the right side of the offensive line, a heavier dose of Jaylen Warren, and a lot less reliance on DK Metcalf’s hands. If McCarthy doesn’t find some offensive balance soon, it’s going to be a very long, very painful season.

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: We are going with Derrick Harmon; he was wreaking havoc in the middle. Also Considered: The linebacker core was very good. Also shouting out Aaron Rodgers for making a huge tackle.

Steel the Snacks: We were back home again. So KGB made New England style Crabcakes with New England Stuffies (Baked Clams). The Snacks were great and deserved a better effort.

My stat of the week: It is a bad one ZERO touchdowns, this past Sunday, September 20, 2026, the Patriots held the Steelers to zero touchdowns in a 20-3 loss.

Prior to Sunday’s game, the last time head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers combined for a no-touchdown game was December 12, 2010, when the Green Bay Packers lost 7-3 to the Detroit Lions.

My thoughts on next week: The Steelers will face division rival Cincinnati. The team that played yesterday has NO shot of beating the Bengals. That being written, I am confident that team won’t be back for a long time. Look for a big bounce back week.

Jersey of the Week:  No jersey again, long story on a closet mishap.

PITTSBURGH — Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. The Steelers won their season opener on Sunday with hard-nosed defense, special teams blunders mixed with splash plays, and an offense that remains an unmistakable work in progress.

If anyone wondered what the Mike McCarthy era would look like in the Steel City, Week 1 provided an immediate, familiar answer: dominant edge pressure, a game-altering defensive touchdown, and just enough veteran savvy under center to survive a choppy, mistake-riddled 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium.

The headline story of this game belonged entirely to Patrick Graham’s defense. Coming off a seven-sack campaign and turning 32 next month, Watt put together a dominant performance.  His short-range ball skills are unmatched across the NFL.

Watt sacked Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush twice, but his signature moment came when he picked off a short pass and rumbled 35 yards to the house for the game’s turning point.

Opposite Watt, Alex Highsmith had a strong performance. Highsmith notched two sacks of his own, including the kill shot midway through the fourth quarter on a crucial third down when Atlanta was threatening to tie the game.

Up front, Cam Heyward delivered another weekly clinic in batting down passes at the line of scrimmage, swatting away three attempts while adding three tackles. Inside, ILB Payton Wilson continues to improve and made a serious case for defensive player of the game, flying around the field to rack up a team-high 13 tackles, including two for a loss.

While Falcons running back Bijan Robinson popped a few runs, Pittsburgh’s front seven contained Atlanta’s best weapon, holding him to 83 yards on 21 carries on a day where Atlanta’s entire game plan hinged on riding Robinson to victory.

The Steelers were without Joey Porter Jr. and Deshon Elliot. Down two key starters, the defensive backfield held Atlanta to just 143 passing yards. Cooper Rush, filling in after Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury on late Thursday, managed only 12 completions on 22 attempts all afternoon. Jaquan Brisker notched an interception in the first half, while Jamel Dean set the physical tone for the corners with five tackles and a forced fumble.

The secondary’s only real blemish was allowing Robinson to break free for a 23-yard touchdown catch in the first half after Jalen Ramsey couldn’t tackle him in the open field. Outside of that lapse, the corners tackled with certainty. Next week’s trip to New England will present a steeper challenge, but this depleted unit passed its first test.

The high hopes for the McCarthy era offense may still be on hold. Aaron Rodgers went 24-40 and passed for 221 yards and a touchdown, more importantly he had zero turnover , showing sharp touch on multiple strikes that easily could have translated into a 300-yard day with better support from his receiving corps.

Instead, the offense was plagued by self-inflicted wounds. DK Metcalf’s monster training camp didn’t translate to the opener, his last season’s red flags resurfaced. Drops, an inability to win contested catches on third/fourth downs, an end-zone drop, and two offensive pass interference penalties killed drives. The Steelers are paying Metcalf $30 million he simply needs to be better. Roman Wilson missed an opportunity to cement his place, dropping a potential touchdown pass in the end zone.

Michael Pittman Jr. and tight end Pat Freiermuth were bright spots, they went a combined 8-for-8 on their targets. Freiermuth scored Pittsburgh’s lone offensive touchdown on a slick 19-yard strike from Rodgers in the first half.

Mid-fourth quarter, Rodgers took an 8-yard loss on a third-down sack, pushing what would have been a 46-yard Chris Boswell field goal attempt into a 56-yard miss. Later, Rodgers rushed to catch Atlanta with 12 men on the field; the Falcons had 11, the third-down pass fell incomplete, and Metcalf couldn’t drag his feet in-bounds on the ensuing fourth-down try, resulting in a turnover on downs.

There was very little room to run and the Steelers rushed for just 2.8 yards per carry and finished with just 58 yards on the ground. It directly reflects the lack of push up front. The reshuffled offensive line, playing its first live reps together with Rodgers and the starting unit, offered leaky pass protection as well, surrendering two sacks to Za’Darius Smith and consistent early pressure.

Jaylen Warren started out slow, through three quarters. But Warren took over in the fourth, generating 37 of his 73 total yards from scrimmage late, highlighted by a physical 9-yard third-down conversion to seal the win at the two-minute warning. Rico Dowdle, replacing 2025 team MVP Kenneth Gainwell, found virtually no running room in a tough first outing he finished with just 15 yards.

This unit needs dramatic improvement before heading to Foxborough to face the defending AFC champions.

The special teams are again frustrating on all levels. No Danny Smith, but the unit continues to make mistakes under the new regime.

Chris Boswell went 2-for-3 on field goals, but his fourth-quarter miss gave Atlanta late life. Earlier in the second half, Boswell was lined up for a 62-yard attempt when a miscommunication led to an early snap from Christian Kuntz, forcing holder Cam Johnston to throw the ball away and handing Atlanta field position in Steelers territory.

Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman must also address kickoff coverage after the Falcons opened drives at their own 34-, 35-, and 43-yard lines. On the positive side, rookie returner Kaden Wetjen posted 40 total return yards (including a 27-yard kickoff return), while Eli Heidenreich provided 47 yards on two kickoff returns.

It was not the offensive juggernaut that everyone was hoping for. Penalties, drops, and execution errors aren’t entirely on the head coach, but McCarthy’s decision to hold Rodgers and the starting receivers out of preseason action clearly contributed to a rusty performance.

At the end of the day the Steelers did enough to win. Rodgers awarded the game ball to Mike McCarthy postgame, a milestone the local native McCarthy will always remember.

Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!

Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!

My “GAME BEER” goes to: T.J. Watt who put together a big game after what many considered a disappointing season. Also Considered: Cam Heyward batting down passes, Payton Wilson who had a tremendous game and of course Alex Highsmith with the huge effort.

Beer of the Game: Modello for me (Two pitchers worth) and Corona Light for KGB.

“Steel the Snacks”: No Steel the snacks this week. KGB and I played a road game this week. We were at the Snuggery in Palm Beach, a very cool Steelers bar. The crowd was raucous and we had wings and fries.

My stat of the week: ONE win for Mike McCarthy. It wasn’t pretty and at times it looked all too familiar but, imagine the pride it must be to coach your hometown team to a win in the NFL. It is the start of a new era in Pittsburgh.

My thoughts on next week: The Steelers head to their personal house of horrors in New England. They pulled an upset last year when they forced the Patriots into five turnovers. The Patriots are coming off a disappointing opener and have had extra time to prepare. One thing is certain, the offense that showed up yesterday, will not be enough to pull out a victory. They need a much stronger and crisper performance.

Jersey of the Week: NO JERSEY, debuted the BWG 2026 Shirt.  

MORE TO COME