The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive struggles under prime-time lights continued on Sunday night as quarterback Aaron Rodgers struggled through a 25-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
Nearing his 42nd birthday, Rodgers finished 16-of-31 for 161 yards, with one touchdown, two interceptions, and a 50.6 passer rating—his lowest of the season. His 51.6% completion rate was his worst since 2020, and the 50.6 passer rating ranks as the fifth-lowest of his career in a full game.
Rodgers admitted after the game that several throws missed their mark. “A lot of stuff wasn’t working. We were bad on third down. I was just a little bit off, missed DK [Metcalf] early, could’ve been a big play. Little high to Jonnu [Smith]. But yeah, we didn’t run the ball super effectively in the first half. I missed, obviously, some throws, for sure. And then we weren’t getting guys open and couldn’t put it all together. Times guys were open, I missed the throws that I usually make.
“Our defense played really well tonight. Offensively, we were pretty bad. So, we’ve got to find a way to get open on third down, I’ve got to find a way to hit ‘em, because that was just some bad ball.”
The Steelers started the night with early energy. Kicker Chris Boswell converted a 59-yard field goal—his 50th career 50+ yard kick in 60 attempts—giving Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter.
However, momentum shifted when Rodgers fumbled in the end zone on a third-and-7 snap from the Pittsburgh 9-yard line. Chargers’ Khalil Mack recovered the ball in the end zone for a safety, cutting the Steelers’ lead to 3-2.
The first half proved to be a nightmare for Pittsburgh’s offense. Rodgers completed just 7-of-14 passes for 64 yards, with one interception. The interception occurred when Rodgers overthrew DK Metcalf, resulting in RJ Mickens’ pick that set up Justin Herbert’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Ladd McConkey just before halftime.
Pittsburgh entered the break with only 85 total yards, three first downs, and an 0-for-6 mark on third downs.
The Steelers rallied briefly in the fourth quarter, with Jaylen Warren’s screen pass resulting in an 18-yard gain to the Chargers’ 14-yard line. However, the drive stalled shortly thereafter. Rodgers missed a checkdown to Kenneth Gainwell and then threw incompletions to Metcalf, who was covered tightly by two defenders, ultimately resulting in a turnover on downs.
The Chargers capitalized immediately. McConkey caught a 58-yard pass, setting up Kimani Vidal’s 2-yard touchdown run, which put the game out of reach for Pittsburgh.
Vidal finished the game with 95 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Justin Herbert completed 20 of 33 passes for 220 yards and a score. Jaylen Warren rushed efficiently, gaining 70 yards on 14 carries, averaging 5.0 yards per attempt. Despite this, the Steelers went 0-for-9 on third downs, a critical factor in the loss.
On defense, the black-and-gold unit played stoutly. Patrick Queen recorded a team-high 12 tackles, and Alex Highsmith contributed two sacks.
With the loss, the Steelers fall to 4-5 on the season. They will look to bounce back at home against the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday in Week 11.
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