Steelers find themselves at an early season crossroads after a shaky performance in New England

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers hasn't lasted 22 years in the NFL out of pure luck. The most sacked quarterback in history knows how to take a hit.

So moments after getting drilled by all 231 pounds of New England linebacker Christian Elliss running at full speed in the second quarter of what became a 20-3 loss to the Patriots on Sunday, the 42-year-old Rodgers sprang to his feet and jogged over to the sideline.

“I’ve learned you’ve got to get up quickly, number one, so they don’t send anybody out to get you,” Rodgers said.

The four-time MVP was talking about his reaction to one specific play, though it might as well double for where the Steelers (1-1) find themselves through the first two weeks of Rodgers' final season, one he might struggle to make through intact if the protection in front of him doesn't improve quickly.

The Patriots sacked Rodgers four times — bringing his career total to 606 — and rarely let him get comfortable during a miserable afternoon in which the Steelers managed just a single field goal and didn't reach the red zone until garbage time on a drive that fittingly ended in a turnover.

Rodgers attributed the blast to a “lapse in communication," a common theme during three arduous hours in which tackles Dylan Cook and Troy Fautanu, guards Mason McCormick and Spencer Anderson, and center Zach Frazier frequently found themselves turning around to see their future Hall of Fame quarterback surrounded by guys in blue.

Rodgers, perhaps borrowing a page from the “R-E-L-A-X” playbook he'd sometimes bust out during his long run in Green Bay, made it a point to not overreact.

“You’re not going to see me panic,” he said. “I don’t think (coach) Mike’s (McCarthy) going to panic. Urgency is going to go up for sure, but no panic.”

There really is no other choice. Not with two games against AFC North rivals in the span of five days on the horizon. Pittsburgh faces Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and a markedly improved Cincinnati defense at home on Sunday before heading to Cleveland — a challenge no matter how good or bad the Browns might be — the following Thursday.

Yes, it's only Week 2. That's the good news. It also might be the bad news.

McCarthy stressed the offense's issue isn't talent. If it was, he'd try a different approach. He's confident the answers to the test will be found, but to do so the Steelers will need to play “above our own standard.”

So far, that hasn't happened.

“At the end of the day, our job is to whoop the other guy’s (tail),” he said. “And we need to make sure we’re staying in tune with that. ... Let’s just make sure we’re cleaning our own house each and every week.”

Paying your edge rushers. The bright spot during Pittsburgh's uneven start has been the play of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. All three were at their disruptive best on an otherwise miserable afternoon. Watt had 1 1/2 sacks, Herbig forced a fumble and had three tackles for loss, and Highsmith added a sack. At the moment, the trio looks like $65 million in cap space was well spent.

Whatever is going on with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. The Steelers held Porter out a second straight game on Sunday, this time with what McCarthy described as a back injury Porter aggravated in practice last week, all set against the backdrop of Porter's unhappiness with the club not offering him a contract extension. Porter's teammates have universally had his back, though the situation may come to a head this week if Porter is unavailable against one of the best groups of wide receivers in the league.

Rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard took advantage of injured Michael Pittman's absence, catching four passes for 35 yards, including a nifty 19-yard gain on third-and-8 in the second quarter while the game was still competitive. A bobble late led to a New England pick, but by then things had already been decided.

The Steelers signed running back Rico Dowdle to replace 2025 team MVP Kenny Gainwell, hoping Dowdle could provide a solid one-two punch with Jaylen Warren. Through two games, it hasn't worked out that way. Dowdle has 19 touches for 65 yards so far and struggled in pass protection before leaving in the fourth quarter with an injury against New England.

Pittman, Porter and Dowdle will all be evaluated on Wednesday. McCarthy said Pittman's foot injury is not related to the one that sidelined him during training camp.

20 — percent of third downs the Steelers have converted through two weeks, second-to-last in the league behind Green Bay. While the defense has held firm despite being on the field a bunch, it's not a long-term plan for success.

Try to come up with a game plan that protects Rodgers long enough to keep the Pittsburgh offense on the field a bunch while Burrow and company watch from the sideline.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

New England Patriots' Treveyon Henderson (32) runs past Pittsburgh Steelers' Asante Samuel Jr. (22) for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Foxboro, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Pittsburgh Steelers' Troy Fautanu (76) and DK Metcalf (4) recover the ball after quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Foxboro, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Pittsburgh Steelers' Patrick Queen (6) is tackled after intercepting a pass during the second half of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

New England Patriots' Gabe Jacas, right, sacks Pittsburgh Steelers' Aaron Rodgers, left, during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Foxboro, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, right, is sacked by New England Patriots' Christian Elliss during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Foxboro, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Hundreds of flights were canceled in the U.S. Northeast due to technical problems at a key regional air traffic control center, hitting every major airport in the New York City area for several hours Monday.

The primary communications line failed at a key Federal Aviation Administration facility in Philadelphia and the backup fiber optic line was inadvertently severed by railroad construction workers. That left controllers without radar or communications.

The outage affected flights to and from Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark and Philadelphia airports.

By Monday evening, flights were resuming at all those airports. However, significant delays were expected through the rest of the day. Some airlines were allowing customers to change flights without charge. The FAA advised travelers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

The outage happened just as President Donald Trump and numerous foreign leaders were flying into New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.

The technical problems stem from the same Federal Aviation Administration facility in Philadelphia that caused numerous disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport in the spring of 2025.

Regional control centers like these have two lines that carry radar and communications data in and out: the primary and the backup. The FAA said a circuit on the primary failed Monday morning, and when the system tried to switch to the backup, workers discovered that the fiber optic line had been cut.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said an Amtrak construction crew was to blame, but Amtrak pointed to a New Jersey Transit construction crew that was working in the area between Newark and New Brunswick, New Jersey.

FAA administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters that the agency was working to restore the primary connection as soon as possible by installing a new circuit on the primary line, while also working to repair the backup fiber optic line. He said it’s not clear how long that will take. Verizon said its technicians are working to restore service as soon as possible.

“That fiber break is probably 13 hours to repair. It’s massive,” Bedford said, according to a video posted online by a CBS transportation reporter. He said that the FAA may be able to install a new circuit to get the primary line working again even before the fiber line is fixed.

The primary circuit that failed is due to be replaced as part of the overhaul of the nation’s air traffic control system.

Also Monday, the FAA began testing a new computer system that uses AI to help predict schedule conflicts and weather issues to help air traffic controllers reroute traffic. But that system is initially being tested only in the Washington, D.C., area, so it did not appear to be linked to the outages.

FILE - A traveler with a smartphone walks past an air traffic control tower at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia on March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)