The Pittsburgh Steelers looked much-improved on defense for the second consecutive week. However, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the offense is now struggling.
In Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Steelers offense took advantage of six takeaways from the defense and special teams. But without a takeaway during Week 10 versus the Los Angeles Chargers, Rodgers and the Steelers managed just 10 points.
Pittsburgh didn’t score its touchdown until the 2:57 mark of the fourth quarter. The Steelers managed just 221 yards and converted only 2 of 11 third-down attempts.
The Steelers also failed on their only fourth-down try.
After the game, Rodgers was critical of his own performance and how his unit looked overall.
“Our defense played really well tonight, and offensively, we were pretty bad,” Rodgers told reporters. “So, we got to find a way to get open on third down. I got to find a way to hit them because that just some bad ball.”
The Steelers are 7-for-33 (21.2%) on third down in their past three games. During their last two losses, they are 3-for-21 (14.3%) on third-down conversions.
Aaron Rodgers, Steelers Offense Struggling on Third Down
There were a lot of issues with the Steelers offense in Week 10. Overall, Rodgers missed on a few throws early in the game.
But the third-down problems are starting to become a pattern. Entering Sunday, the Steelers were ranked 18th in third-down conversion percentage. But they are plummeting in the category.
Part of why is the unit is facing a lot of third-and-longs. The Steelers offense just simply isn’t built to convert those types of plays.
So, anytime the Steelers commit a penalty or take a sack on first or second down, they can’t overcome the mistake on third down.
Another issue is WR1 D.K. Metcalf is seeing double coverage a lot. With so much attention to Metcalf, other wideouts need to step up and get open for Rodgers. That isn’t happening.
The NFL trade deadline has passed. To improve on third down, the Steelers need Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson to play better.
While not related to the team’s third-down conversion percentage, Austin and Wilson both caused a turnover over the past two games. Austin had a pass bounce off his hands Sunday night, which led to an interception.
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