James Harrison Takes Aim at Steelers O-Line Over Aaron Rodgers’ Patriots Struggles

Aaron Rodgers spent much of Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots trying to escape pressure, but James Harrison believed the problem went beyond the quarterback. The former Steelers linebacker pointed to Pittsburgh's offensive line after Rodgers absorbed four sacks and lost two fumbles in the 20-3 defeat. One of those hits erased 36 yards of field position, while another ended with a Patriots touchdown. For Harrison, the sequence showed how little time Rodgers had to make plays behind a line that struggled to hold its ground.

James Harrison calls out Steelers O-Line

Harrison made his frustration clear on the Deebo & Joe and Nightcap podcast. He pointed to a third down where Rodgers could not get the ball away before the pressure arrived.

“It was incomplete because like Aaron can't even; he ain't got the time to get the ball out, bro,” Harrison said. “The pressure then forced Pittsburgh into a third-and-seven situation before a sack and fumble pushed the Steelers out of field goal range.

The problem had not appeared for the first time against New England. Pittsburgh had won its opener against Atlanta, but Rodgers had taken two sacks in that game, and the offense produced only 264 total yards. Against the Patriots, Rodgers completed 23 of 39 passes for 187 yards, while the line allowed four sacks.

Head coach Mike McCarthy had accepted responsibility for the protection problems. He said the line needed more continuity and consistency after Pittsburgh had used different combinations during preparation.

Aaron Rodgers took responsibility after the loss

Rodgers did not place the blame only on his blockers. After the Patriots loss, he said the players had to take ownership and admitted that his own performance had not been good enough. He had thrown only one touchdown through his first two games.

The quarterback had felt the pressure directly during the second quarter when Christian Elliss delivered a blindside sack. Rodgers said the hit exposed a communication lapse because he normally sensed whether the protection had been picked up.

“It's frustrating, for sure,” Rodgers said. “Our defense has been playing great. They've been holding teams to 13 points per game through two games, and offensively, we're averaging eight points per game. That's not winning football.”

With Rodgers entering what he had called his final NFL season, Pittsburgh's protection issues had placed even more pressure on an offense that had struggled to create room for its veteran quarterback.