The Pittsburgh Steelers managed just three points Sunday in a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots, exposing early problems for a remade offense under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy.
Former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, now an NBC analyst, addressed the performance during the Sunday night broadcast. He said the unit lacks a clear identity after two games.
“From my perspective, they don’t have a place to hang their hat,” Tomlin said. “They haven’t established the run. They’re not performing well enough on third down, or possession-down circumstances. And to make matters worse, they’re not getting yards in chunks.”
Pittsburgh finished two of 12 on third down and produced 235 total yards. The running game totaled 91 yards on 23 carries. Jaylen Warren led the way with 11 carries for 43 yards.
Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of 39 passes for 187 yards with one interception and no touchdowns. He was sacked four times. DK Metcalf, working against tight coverage, had four catches for 27 yards on nine targets.
The Steelers’ only score came on a 56-yard field goal before halftime. New England added a late defensive touchdown after a strip-sack of Rodgers.
Pittsburgh opened the season with a 20-13 home win over Atlanta, decided largely by a T.J. Watt interception return. Even then, the offense was inconsistent.
Through two weeks the Steelers are averaging 11.5 points and 249.5 yards per game, ranking 30th in the NFL in both categories. They have just two plays of 25 yards or longer.
Last season, Tomlin’s final year as coach, Pittsburgh averaged 23.4 points and 316.9 yards per game.
Tomlin coached the Steelers from 2007 through 2025 without a losing record. He won one Super Bowl and reached another.
McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native hired to modernize the attack, has leaned more on three-receiver sets. The early results have been modest. The offense averaged 3.5 yards per play against New England.
Rodgers, 42, is in what is expected to be his final season. The three points Sunday tied the fewest in any game he started and finished.
McCarthy said after the game that the details were lacking and that the problems start with him. The offensive line has not created consistent running lanes or clean pockets.
The Steelers sit at 1-1 heading into a home game against Cincinnati. They have scored 23 points in two games combined.
Tomlin added that the team cannot fix everything at once.
“They can’t solve all their problems, but they better solve at least one of these problems, and really soon,” he said.
The next few weeks will show whether the running game, third-down execution or downfield passing can provide that starting point.
