Slow starts in 3rd quarter troublesome for Steelers, QB Aaron Rodgers

Winning the coin toss and deferring until the second half is a sound strategy in practice, but not in execution for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Four times this season, the Steelers have gotten the ball to start the second half of games. Those drives have ended in three punts and an interception.

The Steelers have fared better when they don’t get possession to open the third quarter. When they ultimately got the ball after halftime against Cleveland and Cincinnati, they pieced together touchdown drives.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers lamented the way the offense exited halftime of the Steelers game Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers.

The Steelers went three-and-out, and Green Bay responded with a touchdown drive that cut into a nine-point deficit and ultimately led to the Packers’ 35-25 victory at Acrisure Stadium.

For all the defense’s deficiencies after halftime — it allowed 28 points and 289 yards — Rodgers can’t help but think the offense was just as culpable.

“We’ve done a good job of ending some halves with points, but I’m not sure we’ve scored on the first possession of the second half,” Rodgers said. “When you’re deferring and you’re expecting to have a chance to double up, so to speak, that’s what changes the game.”

Rodgers can be forgiven for forgetting the touchdowns against Cleveland and Cincinnati because the Steelers didn’t get the ball first, and in the case of the Bengals, they didn’t run an offensive snap until the quarter was halfway over.

But the inability to get points when the Steelers have the first opportunity after intermission helps explain why their cumulative 24 points are the fewest they’ve scored in any quarter this season. That is tied for No. 25 in the league. Their second-lowest output of 40 points has occurred in the first quarter.

“We have to execute better and play 60 minutes of complementary football,” wide receiver DK Metcalf said.

Armed with a 16-7 halftime lead, the Steelers had a chance to pull away on the opening drive of the third. On third-and-8 from the 29, Rodgers as well as most others at Acrisure Stadium and those watching the NBC telecast thought the Steelers had gotten a free play when several Packers defenders jumped offside.

Rodgers threw deep. Roman Wilson couldn’t come up with the catch, but to the Steelers’ astonishment, it was not a free play. Officials conferred, but even under expedited replay rules, the referee can only pick up a flag, not throw one. The Steelers punted, the Packers scored a touchdown and the momentum shifted.

“I didn’t think our offense responded very well to the non-call,” coach Mike Tomlin said.

Added Rodgers: “We can’t control when they jump offsides whether they throw the flag or not. We’d like the correct call to be made for sure. We still have a chance on that play. Coming down with a catch would have got the drive going.”

The Steelers got a field goal on their next possession to take a 19-14 lead, but by the time the Steelers scored again, they were trailing 35-19.

“We responded pretty well that next drive, we just didn’t get seven to take it back to two scores,” Rodgers said. “We got three, and they went down and scored again. We have to help our defense out. When we get it to two scores, they can play more one dimensionally, and that’s what we’ve got to do.”

Instead, it was the Steelers who were forced to play catch-up after the tide turned for good early in the fourth quarter when Green Bay scored two touchdowns within a four-minute span to take a 29-19 lead.

It didn’t help the offense’s cause that sacks and penalties contributed to a slew of third-and-long situations. The Steelers faced situations of at least third-and-10 on six occasions. That partially explains why the Steelers went 1 for 10 on third downs, their only conversion coming early in the game on a 45-yard completion to Wilson.

“We had more third-and-longs in that game than we’re comfortable with,” Tomlin said. “I think we suffered the consequences of that, particularly as the game wore on.”

Metcalf caught a 2-yard touchdown pass in the first half, but he also was called for pass interference that contributed to a third-and-15. In the second half, he drew a personal foul penalty that turned a third-and-2 into a third-and-15.

“I’m a firm believer that the defense has to stop us, we can’t stop ourselves,” Metcalf said. “They’ve got to line up. They don’t know our routes. They don’t know our plays. We just have to execute better.”