Aaron Rodgers Gives High Praise to Patriots Rookie Following Loss

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers blamed himself for the Pittsburgh Steelers' 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. The future Hall of Famer struggled in his 42nd season, going 23 of 39 for 187 yards. The Steelers' offensive line also failed, surrendering four sacks. Veteran wide receiver DK Metcalf had an off day as well.

Rodgers acknowledged his own shortcomings, saying, "My performance wasn't good enough and a lot of guys on offense weren't good enough." He emphasized the need to take ownership and look inward, rather than pointing fingers. The Steelers' offensive issues from their Week 1 win over Atlanta resurfaced. In the second quarter, Patriots' Christian Elliss sacked Rodgers, resulting in a 36-yard loss.

Rodgers shrugged off the hit, stating, "I've learned you've got to get up quickly, number one, so they don't send anybody out to get you." Following New England's interception on the first series of the second half and a missed 47-yard field goal, Pittsburgh missed opportunities that could have turned into points. Rodgers misfired on third-and-6, leading to a punt, and later, rookie Germie Bedard dropped a pass from Rodgers, resulting in an interception by Patriots' rookie Gabe Jacas.

Rodgers concluded, "It's frustrating, for sure. Our defense has been playing great. They've been holding teams to 13 points per game through two games, and offensively, we're averaging eight points per game. That's not winning football."