Me, talking to myself after watching the Steelers lose their fifth-straight primetime game knowing I have to be up early for work

The weekend began well enough. Virginia and Louisville, two of the teams ahead of Pitt in the ACC standings, lost to unranked teams. Pitt was awarded the rights to host College GameDay next Saturday for their top-25 showdown against Notre Dame. Manchester City thumped perennial title rivals Liverpool 3-0 at home, while Arsenal dropped points in a 2-2 draw against newly-promoted Sunderland. The Penguins were able to get a point on the road against a very good Devils team on Saturday, although they came up empty against the Kings the next day. 

The Steelers would play Sunday night, hoping to break their losing streak in primetime—they had lost four straight night games dating back to last season’s win over the New York Giants on October 28th, 2024. The Los Angeles Chargers, on the other hand, entered the game 3-0 in primetime games this season alone, with wins over the Chiefs in Brazil, the Raiders in Vegas, and the Vikings at home. 

The Steelers, fresh off a win against a very good Indianapolis Colts team, would theoretically have a bit of momentum entering the game, although the Chargers also entered the night with back-to-back wins under their belt. 

The game…did not go well. After a Boswell field goal to open the scoring, the Chargers scored 25 straight points. It began with Aaron Rodgers needlessly taking a safety about two-thirds of the way through the first quarter, grew to a 12-3 deficit right before halftime, and reached a 25-3 margin with 4:58 left in the game before Rodgers connected with Roman Wilson in garbage time to make it 25-10, which would be the final score of the game. 

Rodgers had his worst game as a Steeler—and probably as a professional quarterback—last night, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns (two versus one, although the second interception hit Calvin Austin’s hands before ending up in the defender’s possession), completing just over half his pass attempts (16 of 31), and taking three sacks, one of which resulted in a safety. His ugly passing chart is below:

It is not just the pure numbers that are concerning. Rodgers completed four passes behind the line of scrimmage, while only completing two at a depth of ten-plus yards beyond the line. That, frankly, is not a recipe for success, especially when your team is trailing for the majority of the game. 

The eye test was even worse. Rodgers consistently missed open receivers, including a wide-open DK Metcalf early in the game for what would have been a walk-in touchdown, and multiple passes that were thrown way too high for the pass catchers to get their hands on. One of these resulted in his first interception, a ball overcooked intended for Kenneth Gainwell that landed right in the mitts of rookie safety RJ Mickens. 

While the defense gave up 25 points, it is hard to fault them for this loss. When you are on the field for over 62.5% of the game, you are bound to be tired. For the most part, they did a good job holding the Chargers to field goals instead of touchdowns. However, the bend, but do not break, mentality can only survive for so long before someone snaps you in half. 

Even the special teams were lousy. Boswell missed a 45-yard field goal that he would normally drill in his sleep, and punt returner Ke’Shawn Williams muffed a punt with just over 6.5 minutes left in the game to lead to the Chargers’ final field goal of the night. 

At what point do you start making changes? The front office did nothing to help the offense at the deadline, save signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the practice squad. The play-calling is predictable, Tomlin’s demeanor never changes, and the path of a Steeler season never wavers—it always ends with a record at or slightly above .500 and a one-and-done postseason trip…if they even qualify. 

Maybe I am bitter so soon after the game, but I am also sick of the constant “bridge” quarterbacks. From Fields and Wilson to Rodgers, the organization is terrified of a rebuild. Why? Look at the Patriots! They rebuilt, and Drake Maye has them sitting at 8-2! 

I get that Tomlin has never had a losing season. Has it ever occurred to anyone that that may be a bad thing? The endless mediocrity has become nauseating, and last night’s shameful performance epitomized that on national television.