Rodgers to steelers: Be consistent

‘I have confidence in my guys, and that we’re gonna put a better performance on the field this weekend,’ Rodgers said.

Aaron Rodgers is not panicking about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ record. The Steelers are 6-6, in second place in the AFC North, and on the outside of the playoff race after starting the season 4-1.

The 21-year veteran, who is no stranger to late-season comebacks, said Dec. 3 that the path back to relevance for Pittsburgh is very simple and not worth panicking over.

In 2014, the Green Bay Packers were reeling at the beginning of the season. They started the season 1-2, with losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions. At the time, Rodgers gave Packers fans a simple message.

“Five letters here just for everybody out there in Packer-land: R-E-L-A-X,” Rodgers said at the time. “Relax. We’re going to be OK.”

The Packers turned out more than OK. They won the NFC North and made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game. Rodgers also overcame a slow start personally and won a Pro Bowl selection, a first-team All-Pro, and his second career NFL MVP.

A reporter brought that message up to Rodgers on Dec. 3 and asked if he had a similar message to his Steelers teammates.

“It’s a different team, different time, and what you say needs to be authentic, and in that moment, I felt there was a major overreaction,” Rodgers recounted. “We played three games, we played two, would turn out to be playoff teams, and we went 1-2. And we went on an absolute heater after that.”

Rodgers said that when he does convey a message to his teammates, he tries to feel “the pulse of the team.” The pulse of the 2025 Steelers is much different than the 2014 Packers.

“I don’t feel like this team has a freak out or a panic, that I need to send a message out to the zeitgeist that everybody needs to just relax a little bit,” Rodgers said. “We’ve been playing inconsistent football, that’s for sure. [We’ve] got to play better. But I have confidence in the leadership of the team, I have confidence in my guys, and that we’re gonna put a better performance on the field this weekend.”

The Steelers started the season 4-1, with wins over the New York Jets, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, and Cleveland Browns, and a loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Since then, the Steelers have gone 2-5, with two 2-game losing skids. Early in the season, Pittsburgh had a commanding lead over the AFC North, with both the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals struggling on defense and dealing with injuries at quarterback.

The Ravens went on a 5-game win streak after starting 1-5 and have seized the lead in the division.

The Steelers’ struggles have stemmed from a badly inconsistent offense. Pittsburgh currently has the 29th-ranked passing attack in the league.

They are 13th in completion percentage (66.3 percent) and tied for 8th in passing touchdowns (21), tied for 15th in interceptions (9), and tied for 8th-lowest sacks allowed. Those stats are middle-of-the-road, but the deeper stats bear out that the Steelers lack a deep passing attack. They are tied for 23rd in yards per passing attempt at 6.6 yards; 29th in passes of 20 yards or more with 26; and 29th in 1st down percentage through the air (29 percent).

They also have the 29th-ranked rushing attack. They are ranked 28th in total rush yards (1,126); tied for 22nd in both yards per carry (4) and touchdowns (8); tied for 25th in runs of 20+ yards (4). They are tied for 21st in rushing 1st downs (76), but are 8th in 1st down percentage on the ground (26.9 percent).

The Steelers will have more than ample opportunity to course correct over the final five weeks of the season. They square off against the Ravens on Sunday; after that, they play the middling Miami Dolphins, the high-powered Detroit Lions, then the Cleveland Browns, before a rematch with the Ravens that could decide the division.