By Robert MarviShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Pittsburgh Steelers had an opportunity to solidify their playoff positioning and also make a statement when they faced off against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. It was a big game for both teams, as the Steelers were hoping to hold onto first place in the AFC North and Buffalo is looking to keep pace with the New England Patriots, who are blazing away on top of the AFC East.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers played after missing Pittsburgh's previous game with a wrist injury, and he had to briefly leave this game after taking a hard hit from Joey Bosa. He didn't play up to his standards, and after taking a 7-3 lead in the second quarter, Pittsburgh fell completely apart, getting outscored 23-10 in the second half en route to a 26-7 loss at home.
Former offensive tackle Trai Essex, who won two Super Bowl championships with the Steelers in the 2000s, couldn't hide his disgust with his former team. He took to X (formerly Twitter) and blasted the Steelers for what he saw as a lack of effort.
"That whole 2nd half….nobody showed up. Nobody showed the [expletive] up. It’s pissing me off the more I think about it. And there was nothing done. Not a timeout to talk the troops. No energy. Nobody stepped up. No leaders. They let this [expletive] happen. ARod is on lease. He’s not a STEELER per se. He wants it more than anybody else. I’m tired. Writing this tweet wore me out. I don’t know what to do."
Read more: Browns Defender Slams 49ers Jauan Jennings For Alleged On-Field Behavior
In Sunday's game, Rodgers completed 10 of 21 pass attempts and had 117 passing yards and no touchdown passes. He had a pitiful QBR of 6.2, which was his second-lowest of the season — he posted a 4.3 QBR on Nov. 9 in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
...But perhaps the biggest culprit in this setback was Pittsburgh's run defense. It gave up 249 rushing yards on 51 rushing attempts and allowed James Cook III to attain 144 yards on the ground. Five penalties also cost Pittsburgh a total of 67 yards on Sunday, and Buffalo possessed the football for nearly 24 more minutes than Pittsburgh did.
All season, defense has been considered to be arguably the Steelers' biggest problem, despite the presence of some big names and high-salaried players on that side of the football. The team currently ranks 20th in points allowed, 28th in total yards allowed and 29th in first downs given up.
Read more: Colts’ Sauce Gardner Offers Major Injury Update on Himself After Scary Incident
Sunday's loss gave the Steelers a 6-6 record, and they have slipped to second place in their division behind the Baltimore Ravens, who are also 6-6. Both teams will meet this Sunday in Maryland and again in Week 18 at Acrisure Stadium.
For more on the Steelers and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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