Aaron Rodgers criticizes Steelers' offense, calls for better execution and communication

Week 2 was not what the Pittsburgh Steelers hoped for after they lost to Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in Foxborough, 20-3. Those three points matched the fewest points in any game started and finished in Aaron Rodgers' career, per CBS Sports Research.

Plenty of blame goes around for Pittsburgh's offensive issues. Rodgers looks like a 42-year-old, the offensive line struggled to contain New England's defensive front and the wide receivers aren't stepping up. DK Metcalf in particular has disappointed. His 44.4% catch rate ranks third-worst in the NFL, per PFF.

On the heels of the Week 2 loss, Rodgers told reporters that he expects the Steelers' veteran leadership to step up. He also made an interesting comment about head coach Mike McCarthy, which could be perceived as a bit of a slight.

"Can't feel sorry for ourselves. Can't point fingers. We've all got to play better, but I think we can all give a little more," Rodgers said. "The best teams are player-led teams, so we've got to keep taking the ownership. In a game like today where there wasn't a lot of flow to it, we need to be better, and that starts with me at making sure Mike (McCarthy) knows what's working, what's not working, our coaches know, so we can call stuff that we feel like has a better chance."

Rodgers was then asked how he would assess McCarthy's play-calling over two games -- which has included just one offensive touchdown.

"It's not that big of a sample size, but I thought we didn't execute very well at all," Rodgers said. "The plays were fine, we had opportunities and we've got to dig into the details on some of this stuff. If there's too much stuff in the plan we've got to cut it back. I always like to push the envelope, and if I see guys doing it the right way in practice, then I feel good about it. But we've got to try to transfer the practice to the game, obviously, and the details got to come with it."

Against the Patriots, Rodgers completed 23 of 39 passes for 187 yards and one interception, while fumbling twice. The Steelers recorded 235 yards of total offense, bringing up their season total to 499. Those are the fewest team yards through two games in Rodgers' Hall of Fame career.

McCarthy tried to shoulder the blame in his press conference as the architect of this offense, saying, "I did not do a good job."

"As an offensive coach, I always welcome the opportunity to play against pressure defense," McCarthy said. "I think it's clearly an opportunity for big-play potential. That was not the case today. We didn't answer the bell. Our protections weren't clean. We had issues, whether it was communication and breakdowns, clearly in the first half, that took away some opportunities for big plays."

So, what is going to change for Pittsburgh? McCarthy agrees with Rodgers on his assessment of the game plan. McCarthy told reporters that something he learned early in his career is that, "If it's not clean, you cut the volume down." He said that Rodgers is a quarterback who can play with "any volume of game plan," but this is a team game.