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The Pittsburgh Steelers won their Week 8 game on Sunday over the Cleveland Browns, 27-6, but one might not have known that from hearing quarterback Aaron Rodgers at his postgame media session.
"Not very complete. Defense played excellent. Special teams did fine. But offense should've been a lot more points," Rodgers told reporters. "We didn't execute down there on the goal line."
Rodgers clearly felt the offense could've done more in the red zone, where Pittsburgh had five trips but scored on only three of them. He completed 13 of 25 passes for 172 yards with no touchdowns. The NFL all-time great was sacked once, threw an interception, and finished with a 57.4 passer rating.
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"We'd like to play our best and still win. We also like to win. So we're 6-2 going into the bye, first in the division. So, right where we want to be," the Steelers quarterback said.
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The stars of the game on offense were the Steelers' running backs. Jaylen Warren had quite a day, going off for 143 yards and a touchdown, while Rico Dowdle added 56 yards and another touchdown. Tight end Pat Freiermuth also scored on a one-yard tush push play in the win.
Despite calling out the offense earlier in his remarks, Rodgers didn't hesitate to credit the Steelers' running backs for their effort in the win.
"Yeah, those guys are both playing really well. [They] give us a lot of flexibility," he said of Warren and Dowdle. "We had them on the field for a number of plays today, which is good. They're dynamic players, but we got to hold onto the football. There's a couple of little loose, you know, a little loose with it, but I love playing with those guys."
Pittsburgh's defense also helped secure the win, limiting the Browns' running game to just 34 yards and preventing Cleveland from scoring any touchdowns despite three trips to the red zone. They allowed the Browns, who previously defeated Pittsburgh this season, just two field goals all game.
"Winning's the most important thing. [We're] 2-1 in the division now after the split with Cleveland," Rodgers said, adding, "That [Bengals] game next week, or in two weeks, is going to be really important, but right where we wanna be."
The AFC North appeared headed for a four-team battle until Sunday, when disaster struck the Baltimore Ravens. Starting quarterback Lamar Jackson left the game with a hand injury, and then backup quarterback Tyler Huntley exited with a toe injury.
That left them down to their third-string, undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, and they ultimately lost to the Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, both the Steelers and Bengals won their games on Sunday, setting up a big clash between division rivals in several weeks when they play in Cincinnati.
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