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Two Steelers mistakes cost them dearly, but Pittsburgh’s issues run much deeper

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Two Steelers mistakes cost them dearly, but Pittsburgh’s issues run much deeper


PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers scampered out of the pocket and looked toward the corner of the end zone, with a go-ahead touchdown and a milestone throw in sight.

The Steelers’ quarterback had already enjoyed a historic moment in the second quarter, when he connected with DK Metcalf for the 508th touchdown pass of his career. In doing so, Rodgers tied Brett Favre for fourth on the all-time list. With a chance to surpass the man he backed up two decades ago, Rodgers let the ball fly in tight end Pat Freiermuth’s direction.

As the ball approached Freiermuth, receiver Calvin Austin III dove to try to make a play. The ball deflected off Austin and was snatched out of the air by Seattle Seahawks defensive back Derion Kendrick.

“I was in the scramble rules,” Austin said. “I was in the wrong spot, just trying to make a play. But I gotta do what I’m coached and not, in the spur of the moment, do something to try to make a play… That’s most definitely on me. That interception wasn’t on (Rodgers) or on Pat (Freiermuth) or anything. If I had just stayed on the front pylon, it probably would have been a touchdown.”

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Rodgers said after the game that a touchdown in that situation would have changed the “whole scope of the game,” as it would have given the Steelers’ a seven-point lead in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Instead, the interception became the first of several game-changing moments down the stretch of a 31-17 loss to the Seahawks. Just a few minutes after the interception, an even costlier blunder would doom them.

After the Seahawks took a 3-point lead on a field goal, Seattle kicker Jason Myers delivered a bouncing ball into the landing zone. The football hopped over rookie kicker returner Kaleb Johnson’s shoulder and sat lifelessly in the end zone as Johnson headed toward the sideline. Seattle raced down the field and recovered it for a stunning touchdown. The 10-point deficit was too much for the Steelers to overcome.

“I just made a mistake,” Johnson said after the game. “I’ve just got to get better every day. That’s all I have to say about this. I’ve just got to go in every day and work my hardest even more with a chip on my shoulder.”

Football is a funny game sometimes. In Week 1, the Steelers were in a tight game against the Jets that broke open in Pittsburgh’s favor when running back Kenneth Gainwell forced a fumble on a Jets kick return. In Week 2, the shoe was on the other foot after another pivotal special teams play.

In that way, it would be easy to chalk up the loss to one or two bounces that didn’t go in the Steelers’ direction. Coach Mike Tomlin saw it differently.

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“I’ve got a desire for us to be cleaner so you can’t point to singular plays as pivotal points in the game,” Tomlin said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, that’s just to put it succinctly.”

When you zoom out, Tomlin’s comments put the first two weeks of the season in proper perspective. In both games, similar issues plagued Pittsburgh. In both games, the offensive line struggled to create running lanes and was inconsistent in pass protection. In both games, the defense failed to stop the run and was gashed by chunk plays. The result was different. But when you take away Rodgers’ four-touchdown heroics in Week 1, it largely was the same product.

“It’s Week 2. It’s good for us,” Rodgers said. “Last week, probably there were some people who were feeling pretty good because everyone outside the building is talking about how great we were on offense and 34 points. That’s the league. You can’t ride the highs and ride the lows. You’ve got to refocus every single week and be a professional.”

The Seahawks defense largely kept a lid on the Steelers’ passing game by playing from a two-high safety shell. The way to make a defense pay for playing two safeties deep is to run the ball effectively. Pittsburgh never did. The top three backs — Jaylen Warren, Gainwell and Johnson — carried the ball 20 times for just 69 yards in the game. Even if you add in garbage-time stats, the Steelers managed just 3.4 yards per carry and 72 total rushing yards.

Without a running game to support Rodgers and keep the defense honest, moving the ball was an inconsistent endeavor. Rodgers completed 18 of 33 passes for 203 yards, one touchdowns and two interceptions. He was sacked three times and hit eight times in total. The one-dimensional nature of the offense made things especially challenging on third downs, where Pittsburgh went 5-for-15.

Asked what went wrong on third down, Rodgers said, “Everything.”

“I wasn’t on target,” Rodgers said. “We weren’t getting open effectively enough and they were getting some good pass rush.”

Defensively, it was even more disappointing. A defense full of Pro Bowl talent wasn’t bashful in the preseason about saying they could be the NFL’s best defense. Safety Juan Thornhill said they could be the “best of all-time,” and Tomlin said he felt they could be “historic.” While the defense was opportunistic on Sunday— a Jalen Ramsey interception set up a field goal and a Nick Herbig interception off of a Cameron Heyward deflection set up a touchdown — that unit has come nowhere close to living up to their own lofty expectations through two games.

The two biggest keys coming into Sunday’s game were to shut down running back Kenneth Walker III and to slow receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. They fell short in both regards. Walker racked up 105 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries — it was the second consecutive game the Steelers allowed a running back to eclipse 100 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks’ main receiving threat, caught eight passes for 103 yards.

“I just don’t like people having their way,” inside linebacker Patrick Queen said. “We did that again today, let them have their way. It’s definitely aggravating.”

In many cases, the problems went hand-in-hand. Queen said that the Seahawks took advantage of their man coverage to complete a number of passes in the middle of the field for big gains. In the run game, the Steelers were often gashed by big runs. Overall, the Steelers gave up 18 plays of 10 yards or more, including four plays of 20-plus yards.

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“The first note of every single week is smash the run,” outside linebacker T.J. Watt said. “You guys have heard me say for nine years, we’re always trying to smash the run. It’s not a lack of trying. Schematically. Effort. I don’t know. We’ll have to look at the film, but we have to be better.

“We need to look in the mirror, we need to turn over every stone that we possibly can, because this can’t continue to happen or else you’re going to continue to see what we saw today.”

That may be the truest statement of the day. Even after GM Omar Khan’s noisy offseason, repeated investments in the offensive line and a ton of money committed to the defense, the Steelers are a team that will be in tight games decided by a handful of plays. Until the Steelers eradicate the warts, the same shortcomings will continue to shape the outcome of games.

(Top photo: Barry Reeger / Imagn Images)





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Pittsburg, PA

Blanche says DOJ

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Blanche says DOJ


Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Tuesday that the Justice Department is not moving forward with its $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that has become a major obstacle to the GOP agenda in Congress.

“We are not moving forward with the fund. Period,” he told lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee.



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Luke Bryan concert expected to bring thousands of fans to Pittsburgh-area farm

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Luke Bryan concert expected to bring thousands of fans to Pittsburgh-area farm


On Sept. 17, multi-platinum country music star Luke Bryan will bring his Farm Tour to 1846 Farms near Latrobe.

Westmoreland County is no stranger to large outdoor concerts. Some may remember the Rolling Rock Town Fair in the early 2000s, while others may recall Luke Bryan’s stop at a farm in South Huntingdon Township just two years ago. Now the country music superstar is returning to the area.

The Unity Township farm’s general manager, Aleisha Stas, gave KDKA a tour of the family farm, which dates back to before the Civil War. She says Bryan’s team first reached out after finding the farm on social media, but she says at first, she and her family thought it was too good to be true.

“This was around April Fools, so we thought it was an April Fools prank,” Stas said. “My whole family, we were like, there’s no way this is about to happen. But this has been incredible.”

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Stas says Bryan’s team is handling everything logistically from parking and bathrooms to deciding exactly where the concert will be staged.

“If we have it on this side of the property, we can hold 12,000 people,” Stas said. “And if we have it on (the other side) of the property, it can be up to 20,000. But we have not determined that yet.”

Many of those decisions will be made as September gets closer. In the meantime, however, the farm is holding off on planting in certain fields until the final concert location is selected.

And while hosting thousands of people may sound a little intimidating, Stas says her family is excited to welcome fans to the farm for what they hope will be a memorable night.

“Obviously, we’ve never had this many people here before, so it will be a new thing for all of us, but we are not worried,” said Stas. “Luke Bryan’s team are experts with this, and I think it will go great.”

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Tickets for this concert are currently on sale, and they will run you about $77 per person, plus tax for general admission.



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2025 Steelers Offseason Recall: Garrett shutdown as Pittsburgh bullied Browns in Week 6 | Steel City Underground

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2025 Steelers Offseason Recall: Garrett shutdown as Pittsburgh bullied Browns in Week 6 | Steel City Underground


Steel City Underground presents post-game takeaways in our Steelers Offseason Recall series, revisiting key moments from the 2025 season and how they shaped the year that followed.

AFC North football rarely looks pretty, and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium followed that familiar formula. What started as a defensive slugfest on a torn-up field eventually turned into another frustrating afternoon for Cleveland as Pittsburgh pulled away for a 23-9 victory.

The win improved the Steelers to 4-1 and extended their remarkable regular season home winning streak against the Browns to 22 games. More importantly, it reinforced an early-season identity centered around disruptive defense, efficient quarterback play, and winning the battle in the trenches.

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Looking back, these were the biggest surprises from Pittsburgh’s victory.

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Jalen Ramsey stole the show from Watt and Garrett

Nobody expected Jalen Ramsey to leave Week 6 with more sacks than T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett combined, but that’s exactly what happened.

Ramsey entered the game after missing practice time earlier in the week and proceeded to deliver one of the more unexpected stat lines of the season. The veteran defensive back recorded two sacks and six combined tackles while frequently helping confuse Cleveland’s protection schemes.

Meanwhile, Watt recorded half a sack while Garrett failed to register one entirely.

Ramsey even admitted afterward that the performance surprised him. His production highlighted an emerging trend within Pittsburgh’s defense: pressure was coming from everywhere.

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The Steelers defense overwhelmed Cleveland’s offense

While Ramsey grabbed headlines, the collective defensive effort suffocated Cleveland for most of the afternoon.

The Steelers finished with six sacks as Nick Herbig led the team with two sacks while Ramsey added two of his own. Derrick Harmon, Watt, and Alex Highsmith also got involved as Pittsburgh repeatedly collapsed the pocket around rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Gabriel never looked comfortable. The rookie completed 29 of 59 passes for 221 yards and struggled once Cleveland became one-dimensional after falling behind. He finished with a passer rating of 66.3 while absorbing constant punishment.

Pittsburgh didn’t rely solely on edge pressure either. Defensive backs blitzed, interior rushers collapsed protection, and disguised looks forced Cleveland into mistakes.

Perhaps equally impressive was how the Steelers handled Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins. Entering the matchup, Judkins had averaged 4.6 yards per carry and looked like one of Cleveland’s few consistent offensive weapons. Pittsburgh erased that advantage, holding him to a season-low 36 rushing yards on 12 carries while limiting him to 3.0 yards per attempt.

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Through five games played after their bye week, the Steelers had already amassed 20 sacks and were rapidly becoming one of football’s most disruptive defenses.

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Myles Garrett disappeared

The Browns needed a game-changing performance from Myles Garrett. Instead, Pittsburgh’s offensive line turned in one of its best performances of the season.

Garrett moved around the formation throughout the game, but he spent much of the afternoon lined up across from Broderick Jones. With occasional help early and more one-on-one opportunities later, Jones and company neutralized Cleveland’s biggest defensive weapon.

Garrett finished with only two combined tackles. He failed to record a solo tackle, sack, forced fumble, quarterback hit, or pass defended.

Keeping Garrett quiet fundamentally changed how Cleveland could attack Rodgers and allowed Pittsburgh’s offense to remain balanced throughout the afternoon.

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Rodgers stayed efficient and upright

Aaron Rodgers didn’t deliver a vintage statistical masterpiece: he simply controlled the game.

The veteran quarterback completed 21 of 30 passes for 235 yards while distributing the football efficiently and trusting Arthur Smith‘s offensive approach. Rodgers leaned heavily on his tight ends early before taking advantage of favorable matchups later in the game.

His biggest moments arrived in the second half. Rodgers connected with Connor Heyward for a touchdown strike before finding D.K. Metcalf for another score that helped create separation on the scoreboard.

Equally important, Rodgers stayed upright. For only the second time that season, Pittsburgh allowed zero sacks. Cleveland hit Rodgers only three times despite him attempting 30 passes.

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Compare that with Dillon Gabriel, who absorbed six sacks and 16 total quarterback hits.

The offensive line, aided by extra blocking looks featuring Spencer Anderson, kept Cleveland’s front from controlling the game and allowed Rodgers to operate comfortably. Metcalf benefited from the protection, turning four receptions into 95 yards while the Steelers spread touches across Jonnu Smith, Pat Freiermuth, Roman Wilson, Darnell Washington, and Heyward.

Meanwhile, Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, and Kaleb Johnson combined for 89 rushing yards to maintain offensive balance. Pittsburgh averaged 5.8 yards per play and controlled possession despite both teams having the same number of drives.

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The officiating nearly stole the spotlight

Not everything about the victory came without frustration. Ron Torbert’s officiating crew inserted itself into the game repeatedly as Pittsburgh absorbed ten accepted penalties during an afternoon filled with questionable decisions.

Several pass interference rulings frustrated players and fans alike.

Jerry Jeudy appeared to drag Brandin Echols down by both shoulder pads on one play, yet the result went against Pittsburgh. Later, Browns cornerback Denzel Ward appeared to pin D.K. Metcalf’s arm without drawing a flag.

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Even Watt found himself repeatedly flagged for alignment penalties despite checking positioning with officials beforehand, leading to visible frustration from Mike Tomlin on the sideline.

The most controversial moment arrived on special teams. Ke’Shawn Williams appeared to spark the crowd with a 47-yard punt return before an illegal blindside block penalty on Jabrill Peppers erased the play. The penalty not only wiped away field position but also backed Pittsburgh up an additional ten yards.

Despite the officiating frustrations, the Steelers remained composed, and by the end of the afternoon, that discipline, paired with suffocating defense and efficient offense, delivered another divisional win and continued building momentum heading into a critical AFC North stretch.





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