The Steelers’ offense was awful for the first two weeks of this season. Week 3 is starting much better.
Pittsburgh received the opening kickoff and marched down the field with ease, as Aaron Rodgers completed three of four passes for 73 yards, the last of which was a 38-yard touchdown to Roman Wilson. Wilson also caught a five-yard pass on the drive, and Jaylen Warren had a reception for 30 yards.
The first two weeks of the season raised questions about whether the 42-year-old Rodgers had anything left. On today’s first drive, Rodgers looked like he does.
Now it’s on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow & Co. to show that they can do something offensively, too.
The Steelers will remain without cornerback Joey Porter Jr. on Sunday, but they will have a different look on their offensive line.
Porter is inactive for the third straight week. Conditioning was the reason for his inclusion on the injury report this week as Porter is no longer listed with the back injury that kept him on the physically unable to perform list all summer.
While Porter’s been working himself into shape, there’s also been an uptick in trade chatter about the corner. Porter was looking for a new contract heading into the season and the Steelers’ reluctance to give him one has given rise to thoughts that they could move him.
As that saga plays out, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Steelers are making changes to the right side of their offensive line for Sunday’s game against the Bengals. First-round pick Max Iheanachor will start at right tackle with Brock Hoffman at right guard. Dylan Cook and Spencer Anderson started in those spots during last Sunday’s loss to the Patriots.
Bills wide receiver DJ Moore hurt his shoulder in a Week 2 win over the Lions, but he had more than a week to recover from the injury and that was enough time for him to get cleared for action.
Moore is active for the Bills as they try to move to 3-0 on the season at home against the 0-2 Chargers. The Bills will also get defensive tackle Ed Oliver back in the lineup. Oliver missed the Lions game after injuring his hip in pregame warmups and was listed as questionable along with Moore and wide receiver Keon Coleman.
Coleman is also active for Buffalo while backup quarterback Trey Lance is active for the Chargers. DJ Uiagalelei was summoned from the practice squad as insurance after Lance was listed as questionable, but there will be no change behind Justin Herbert.
Chargers at Bills
Chargers: S Elijah Molden, QB DJ Uiagalelei, OL Alex Harkey, G Kayode Awosika, TE Charlie Kolar, WR Brenen Thompson, DT Dalvin Tomlinson
Bills: WR Skyler Bell, OL Jude Bowry, OL Ar’maj Reed-Adams, DL T.J. Sanders, LB Mike Danna, S Jalon Kilgore
Panthers at Browns
Panthers: TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, QB Haynes King, WR Xavier Legette, S Nick Scott, LB Devin Lloyd, OT Albert Reese, DT Cam Jackson
Browns: CB Tyson Campbell, QB Taylen Green, LB Justin Jefferson, C Parker Brailsford, G Teven Jenkins
Jets at Lions
Jets: WR Adonai Mitchell, DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, TE Mason Taylor, RB Kene Nwangwu, CB Nahshon Wright, K Blake Grupe, LB Kiko Mauigoa
Lions: G Ben Bartch, TE Tyler Conklin, S Bishop Fitzgerald, DL Ahmed Hassanein, LB Devin White, DL Mekhi Wingo
Texans at Colts
Texans: TE Brevin Jordan, CB Collin Wright, WR Nico Collins, G Ed Ingram, DE Jadeveon Clowney, OL Nate Thomas
Colts: WR Ashton Dulin, WR Darius Slayton, DE George Gumbs, G Dailton Tucker, RB DJ Giddens, QB Riley Leonard
Patriots at Jaguars
Patriots: S Craig Woodson, LB Dre’Mont Jones, QB Behren Morton, OT Dametrious Crownover, TE Eli Raridon, DT Leonard Taylor
Jaguars: WR CJ Williams, S Jalen Huskey, LB Jack Kiser, OL Daniel Faalele, DE Wesley Williams, DT Albert Regis
Chiefs at Dolphins
Chiefs: TE Jared Wiley, QB Garrett Nussmeier, DB Chamarri Conner, DE Jack Pyburn, OT Josh Simmons, DE Tyreke Smith
Dolphins: QB Brady Cook, WR Caleb Douglas, RB Jaylen Wright, CB Marcellus Dial, OL DJ Campbell, DL Rob Beal Jr., OL Chukweubuka Godrick
Titans at Giants
Titans: OL Atonio Mafi, DL Jackie Marshall, OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE Kylen Granson, DB Jaylon Jones, RB Michael Carter
Giants: RB Devin Singletary, TE Thomas Fidone, OL J.C. Davis, DL Josh Tupou, DL Bobby Jamison-Travis, CB Deonte Banks, S Tyler Nubin
Bengals at Steelers
Bengals: CB Josh Newton, C Connor Lew, OT Myles Hinton, TE Jack Endries, DT BJ Hill, DT Landon Robinson
Steelers: RB Rico Dowdle, QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, CB Joey Porter Jr., RB Eli Heidenreich, DT Kevin Jobity Jr., DT Gabriel Rubio
Seahawks at Commanders
Seahawks: S Julian Love, S Ty Okada, DT Brandon Pili, QB Jalen Milroe, WR Montorie Foster, CB Avery Smith, LB Connor O’Toole
Commanders: QB Jayden Daniels, LB Frankie Luvu, LB Javontae Jean-Baptiste, G Sam Cosmi, TE Chig Okonkwo
The Steelers need a lift on offense. Receiver Michael Pittman Jr. could help to provide it.
Pittman is expected to play on Sunday vs. the 2-0 Bengals, via Adam Schefter of ESPN. Pittman missed the Week 2 loss to the Patriots with a foot injury, and he had been listed as questionable for the Week 3 game.
In his Pittsburgh debut two weeks ago, Pittman had three catches for 58 yards on three targets.
The Steelers’ offense has one touchdown drive in two games, a 31-yard effort against the Falcons in Week 1. Last week, the Steelers were held to three points against the Patriots.
Pittman was traded to the Steelers after his former team, the Colts, signed receiver Alec Pierce to a new contract.
The final years of Aaron Rodgers’s career aren’t going as well as the rest of it.
He currently has gone seven straight games without throwing multiple touchdown passes. Via NBC Sports research, an eighth game would match the longest streak of his career, which also has happened after he won his fourth NFL MVP award.
From 2022 with the Packers through a quick exit with a torn Achilles tendon in 2023 to the first game of 2024, Rodgers went eight straight games without throwing multiple touchdown passes.
For the season, Rodgers has one touchdown pass and one interception, and a passer rating on 72.1.
On the bright side, a win over the Bengals would tie him with former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the fifth most in NFL history, with 165.
The Steelers’ Saturday roster moves included the placement of one of their top rookies on injured reserve.
The team has announced that guard Jennings Dunker will be added to IR.
Dunker, a third-round pick from Iowa, was inactive for the first two games of the regular season.
He first appeared on the injury report on Thursday. Via Tom Pelissero of Netflix, Dunker suffered an MCL sprain during practice. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
The Steelers filled Dunker’s roster spot by signing running back Travis Homer from the practice squad. The Steelers also elevated running back Lew Nichols and defensive back Doneiko Slaughter from the practice squad.
The Steelers need the help at running back against the Bengals; Rico Dowdle is out with a toe injury, and Jaylen Warren is questionable with a shoulder injury.
We learned during the week that Bengals wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were fined for gestures deemed to be obscene by the league office, but it turns out that both players were fined multiple times.
The NFL announced on Saturday that Higgins was fined three different times for making an obscene gesture. Higgins was also fined once for an illegal celebration/vulgar act during the win. All of the fines were for $14,926, which means Higgins’s total bill was $59,704.
Chase received two fines for the same amount. They had company in Detroit when it came to being fined several times.
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was fined four times for illegal celebrations or vulgar acts. He owes the league the same amount as Higgins for the infractions.
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, left tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Jameson Williams were also fined for the same infraction. Williams picked up a $11,941 fine for taunting as well.
There were 18 fines for obscene gestures or illegal celebrations/vulgar acts around the league in Week 2.
Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. hasn’t played this season. It remains to be seen when he will play this season.
Porter is questionable, with the Steelers listing the reason as not-injury-related/conditioning.
In the first two weeks, he was also listed with a back injury.
Porter was limited in Friday’s practice, and he has yet to fully participate this season.
Porter said earlier this week he “definitely” sees himself playing at some point this season.
He is earning $3.924 million in 2026, the final year of his rookie deal, after not receiving his desired long-term deal. The Steelers’ team policy is not to negotiate once the season starts.
The Steelers ruled out running back Rico Dowdle (toe) and offensive guard Gennings Dunker (knee).
Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (foot), running back Jaylen Warren (shoulder) and cornerback Jamel Dean (ankle) are questionable. All three were limited practice participants again on Friday.
Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco is not on the trade block. That he knows of.
Flacco said today that after Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart got hurt, friends of his thought he was going to get traded to the Giants and reunited with coach John Harbaugh. Flacco had to tell them it wasn’t happening.
“It’s obviously not real and not true, but it was good enough to get people, certain friends of mine, to text me, ‘Hey I’ll see you in New York.’ I was like, ‘No, guys, you won’t, that’s not true,’” Flacco told Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Flacco said he’s committed to the Bengals unless and until they tell him they’re trading him.
“It’s not up to me. I’m on the Cincinnati Bengals, and because of that, that’s my focus, is just being here, and doing the things I need to do to get better each day while I’m here,” Flacco said. “I get a little bit of a kick out of it, but it’s kind of out of my hands. . . . I’m a Cincinnati Bengal and I’m doing everything I can to get ready for the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Last year the Browns traded Flacco to the Bengals after Joe Burrow was injured, and Flacco acknowledged that he wouldn’t necessarily know if a trade was coming.
“I had no idea I was going to get traded last year, so you never know,” Flacco said. “But no, I have no reason to believe that. No.”
The NFL is sometimes called the No Fun League. Apparently, it’s also the No Phallus League.
Yes, I’ve now seen everything. (Not literally.)
The league fined Bengals receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins for a celebration that was deemed to be obscene.
From Jonathan Jones of The Athletic: “On multiple occasions last week, Chase and Higgins each did a gesture that can be interpreted as resembling a phallus.”
In a session with reporters, Chase explained that the gesture is a variation of “the people’s elbow,” a move made popular by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
“Bro, at the end of the day, I can’t say what something we made up, and then everybody else saying what it is,” Chase said, via Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I can’t sit there and say that.
“Everybody gonna have their opinion on what it look like, what it is. They had many people talking about what it looked like, what it is but I can’t really sit here and say, ‘That’s what it is.’ You know? Obviously, that’s not what it is, but it is what it is.”
Some people other than the powers-that-be at 345 Park Avenue did indeed interpret the celebration as referring to the display of a body part other than an elbow.
Chase displayed a potentially acceptable alternative during his Wednesday press conference.
The disclosure comes on the same day that news emerged of a fine imposed on 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk for, in the league’s view, miming the chugging of a beer.
Chase suggested that the league’s “superstars” should work with the NFL Players Association and “fight for our money.”
While it makes no sense to fine Juszczyk for pretending to do what thousands of fans literally do while attending NFL games, the Chase and Higgins fines become the logical extension of the punishment, since that’s where the chugged beer quickly ends up.
