Rodgers’ struggles continue to mount in Steelers' loss to Chargers

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Aaron Rodgers’ tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers began connected a precocious enactment with 4 wins successful 5 games to commencement the season.

Since then, however, the 41-year-old quarterback’s show has gotten progressively worse and worse arsenic the Steelers person mislaid 3 of four.

Rodgers went 16 of 31 for 161 yards with a touchdown, 2 interceptions and a fumble successful Pittsburgh's 25-10 nonaccomplishment to the Los Angeles Chargers connected Sunday night. He was sacked 3 times, took a information and finished with a 50.6 passer rating, his lowest people of the season.

“I didn’t play precise bully astatine all,’" Rodgers said. “I gotta play better. We’ve got 4 part games left. It’s a agelong season.”

It was the 3rd consecutive week Rodgers’ passing yards and QB standing declined from the erstwhile game.

With Rodgers struggling, the Steelers were conscionable 2 for 11 connected 3rd down and trailed by arsenic galore arsenic 22 points earlier scoring a touchdown precocious successful the 4th quarter.

When asked to measure Rodgers’ performance, Steelers manager Mike Tomlin snapped, “How would you? Next (question).”

Rodgers’ troubles began astir immediately.

While attempting to evade unit adjacent the extremity enactment successful the archetypal quarter, helium fumbled the shot successful his ain extremity portion and fell connected it for a information portion being pulled down by Khalil Mack, giving the Chargers their archetypal points of the game.

“I didn’t truly spot anybody open,” Rodgers said. “I felt similar erstwhile I stepped up, I saw Mack, and I didn’t recognize that helium had benignant of mislaid interaction with (right tackle) Troy (Fautanu).”

Late successful the 2nd quarter, helium overthrew DK Metcalf cutting crossed the mediate for an interception into the arms of Chargers information RJ Mickens. Two minutes later, the Chargers converted the turnover into points erstwhile Justin Herbert deed Ladd McConkey connected a 15-yard people nonstop the Chargers into halftime with a 12-3 lead.

The 2nd fractional brought small relief. Rodgers completed conscionable 1 walk successful the 3rd quarter.

In the 4th quarter, with the Steelers astatine the Chargers 10-yard enactment and threatening to score, Rodgers threw 3 consecutive incompletions – including an off-target, fourth-down propulsion to a blanketed Metcalf successful the country of the extremity portion – to extremity the thrust empty-handed.

“I astir apt should’ve thrown to the different side,” Rodgers said. “He was doubled. I was trying to propulsion backmost shoulder. I should’ve worked the different side.”

Rodgers’ 2nd and last interception came connected the Steelers’ ensuing thrust erstwhile his walk slipped done wide receiver Calvin Austin’s hands and deflected close to Chargers cornerback Donte Jackson.

With Rodgers turning the shot implicit and the discourtesy continually incapable to person connected 3rd down, the Steelers' defence was near to wage the price. The Chargers’ clip of possession was 37:35, compared to 22:25 for the Steelers.

“Just connected the writer excessively long,” Tomlin said. “We didn’t person connected 3rd downs, the clip of possession was what it was. Collectives and individuals deterioration down erstwhile you’re not lasting up.”

Rodgers’ lone touchdown pass, a 27-yard catch-and-run by Roman Wilson, came successful the last minutes with the Steelers trailing by 3 possessions and the result agelong decided.

The Steelers are present 5-4, conscionable 1 crippled up of the Baltimore Ravens for archetypal spot successful the NFC North.

“We gotta play amended connected discourtesy for sure,” Rodgers said. “But this is portion of the season, there’s ebbs and flows and ups and downs. We can’t thrust the wave. It starts with me.”

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