Aaron Rodgers — Week 2: Four Sacks, One Returned for Six

13 to three, Patriots, 13 46 left in the fourth quarter, second and 21 at the Pittsburgh 30 — one snap after a 15-yard completion to DK Metcalf came back on a holding penalty. Christian Barmore sacked Aaron Rodgers at the 21 and knocked the ball loose, and Elijah Ponder picked it up at the 19 and scored. −7.4 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and −10.4 points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it, the largest swing against Pittsburgh all day. 20 to three.

The line: 23 completions on 39 throws, a hundred 87 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, four sacks, one scramble for five. His 43 pass plays came out at −21.4 expected points; in Week 1 his 42 were −12.1. Before halftime it was 12 of 22 for 84 yards; after it, 11 of 17 for a hundred three. The sacks, in order: nine yards on third and seven at the New England 22 with eight oh five left in the second quarter, fumbled and recovered by his own lineman Troy Fautanu back at the Pittsburgh 42, which turned a field-goal try into fourth and 43; the touchdown; 11 yards on third and five on the next series; and 13 yards on first and goal at the four with five 46 left. The snap after that one was the interception — second and 17, short right for Germie Bernard, Gabe Jacas at the 21, −4.8. The four sacks and the interception add to −19.8 of the −21.4.

The 39 throws carried 209 air yards; in Week 1 40 throws carried 407. Three throws traveled 20 or more yards in the air and none was caught, and his deepest completion went 14 yards in the air, the 19-yarder to Bernard on third and eight. His longest gain, 26 to Jaylen Warren, was caught behind the line. The targets: Metcalf eight, Bernard eight, Roman Wilson six, Pat Freiermuth five, Warren four, Rico Dowdle two, Darnell Washington two, Ben Skowronek one, three with no listed receiver. On third down he had 10 pass plays — eight throws, two completions, both converted, and two sacks. Pittsburgh was two of 12 on third-down plays; it was three of 12 in Week 1. Mason Rudolph took the final series with three 23 left, and Josh Carney at Steelers Depot reported that as Mike McCarthy's decision in a decided game, not an injury.

Back in June the preview's case for Rodgers was availability: seventeenth among quarterbacks on a full, healthy season at 42, priced as the 20-seventh quarterback, in what he has said is his final year. Week 1 was 24 of 40 for 221 and a touchdown in a win. Sunday was worse in every column and produced three points. Two games: 47 of 79, 408 yards, one touchdown, one interception, six sacks, and 85 pass plays worth −33.5 expected points. The availability read is intact — he was the quarterback on every Pittsburgh series until his coach pulled him — but he took four sacks getting there, and the preview's 14-points-a-game quarterback needs an offense that reaches the end zone. Pittsburgh is home to the Bengals on Sunday the 20-seventh.

_Data via nflverse._