Following a stagnant offensive performance against the Patriots, the veteran quarterback signaled a disconnect in play-calling, placing the burden of adjustments on his under-fire head coach.
The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a humbling 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 2.
The offense wasn't there for the entire day. Pittsburgh mustered one field goal in the second quarter.
Aaron Rodgers went 23 of 39 passing for 187 yards and one interception. He lost one of his two fumbles. He was sacked four times for -43 yards. The running game didn't help him out, as the Steelers were limited to 91 yards on the ground via 23 carries.
When speaking to reporters after the game, Rodgers made concerning comments about head coach Mike McCarthy, who calls the offensive plays for Pittsburgh, suggesting McCarthy needed help from his quarterback to figure out what was and was not working during games.
"In a game like today, where there was a lot of flow to it, we need to be better," Rodgers said, via video posted to X by 93.7 The Fan.
"And it starts with me at like making sure Mike knows what's working, what's not working, our coaches know, and so we can call stuff that... we feel like there's a better chance.
That's one way to throw the head coach under the bus.
McCarthy took the blame in his postgame news conference. He said he "felt" the team wasn't quite right in practice this week.
"We expected pressure and got pressure," McCarthy said. "As an offensive coach, I've always welcomed the opportunity to play against a pressure defense. I think it's clearly an opportunity for big-play potential. That was not the case today. We didn't answer the bell."
Rodgers felt the entire offense played below its standard on Sunday.
Pittsburgh was without Michael Pittman Jr., who is battling a foot injury. Rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard led the Steelers with four receptions for 35 yards.
The rushing attack is the first place the Steelers need to start when they look to fix the offense. Pittsburgh rushed for just 58 yards on 21 carries in their season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.
Through two games, the Steelers are averaging 74.5 yards per contest on the ground. That's a losing formula for a McCarthy offense that is built on having a strong rushing attack.
