Aaron Rodgers once again called for calm after the Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Cincinnati Bengals. Just like what happened following the loss against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, the veteran quarterback is not ready to hit the panic button alongside Mike Tomlin.
“We want to win every game. There needs to be an expectation of winning, but, this is a short week and a division opponent. Anything can happen. Obviously, Joe Flacco played really well for them. Chase and Tee Higgins got it going for him, but this is the NFL. We had a chance to really open up some space, but, we’re 4-2. Still first place in the division. Got a couple of home games coming up back to back. Another Sunday Night opportunity against my former team. So, I’m not going to ride the roller coaster and I know Mike Tomlin isn’t. Hopefully, you guys follow suit.”
Although Rodgers remains positive, the reality is that the path ahead for the Steelers has just become very complicated, considering they still have to face teams like the Packers, Colts, Chargers, Bills, and Lions, in addition to the remaining divisional matchups against the Ravens and Bengals.
Could Steelers make the playoffs?
The Steelers can still make the playoffs since they have a 4-2 record and still hold the lead in the AFC North over the Bengals (3-4) and the Ravens (1-5). However, the remaining schedule for Mike Tomlin’s team could easily bring five more losses, jeopardizing their chances of reaching the postseason.
Moreover, what is worrisome is that the defense fails to respond in key moments and that, even though the offense scored 31 points with a rushing game of over 100 yards, two turnovers were crucial in the loss.
Rodgers admitted that the interception possibly swung the momentum toward the end of the first half against the Bengals and doesn’t believe that, at that point, they abandoned the running game, which had been successful with Jaylen Warren.
“I don’t know about that. I mean, I felt like we ran the ball really well. I think we had a good couple of first drives and then I made a poor decision on the interception. Kind of changed the momentum a little bit. We were mixing it up. We had some chances and took some shots down the field.”