The Pittsburgh Steelers play the Seattle Seahawks for NFL Week 2 today. Here's what to watch for.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting the Seattle Seahawks this afternoon at Acrisure Stadium and hoping for another win on the heels of last week's victory against the New York Jets.
Here are some things to watch for in today's game between Pittsburgh and Seattle.
When does the Steelers-Seahawks game start?
The Steelers-Seahawks game kicks off at 1 p.m. today at Acrisure Stadium.
Aaron Rodgers hoping for another strong performance this week
Rodgers threw for 244 yards and four touchdown passes in the Steelers' 34-32 win over the New York Jets last week and gave the team its first opening drive touchdown since 2023.
The veteran quarterback linked up with four different players on the touchdown passes with Ben Skowronek, Jonnu Smith, Jaylen Warren, and Calvin Austin III all finding the endzone in the win over New York.
After the game, Rodgers said he was "happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets."
Steelers' defense looking to bounce back after allowing 32 points
While the Steelers came away from Week 1 with a win against the Jets, players on the defensive side of the football said they were looking to improve and play better after allowing 32 points.
Last season, Pittsburgh's defense averaged just under 21 points allowed per game and only allowed more than 32 points on two different occasions.
The Steelers held nine different opponents under 20 points last season.
"That's not the standard for our defense," linebacker Alex Highsmith said after Sunday's game.
The Seahawks, led by quarterback Sam Darnold, only scored 13 points in their Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and will be coming to Pittsburgh looking to break out on the offensive side of the ball.
Pittsburgh's injury report for Seahawks game
When the Steelers take the field this afternoon, they'll be without key defensive players for the game.
Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon continues to recover from a knee injury he suffered during the team's final preseason game against the Panthers.
Safety DeShon Elliott and linebacker Malik Harrison will both be out of the lineup as they each deal with injuries suffered during last week's win over the Jets. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is also out with a hamstring injury.
However, linebacker Nick Herbig is returning to the lineup after missing last week's game.
Jabrill Peppers signed by the Steelers earlier this week
In the wake of the injury blow dealt to DeShon Elliot, the Steelers signed safety Jabrill Peppers on Tuesday after he was surprisingly released by the Patriots.
Tomlin called Peppers "a good, well-rounded football player" on Tuesday, citing his position flexibility over the course of his career.
Peppers played in 38 games during his tenure in New England, starting 26 of them. He had 178 combined tackles, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Mike Tomlin backing Broderick Jones after struggles vs. Jets
Offensive tackle Broderick Jones didn't have the strongest of season debuts for the Steelers on the road in New York as he allowed three sacks in the win over the Jets.
Head coach Mike Tomlin was critical of Jones' performance, saying "it could be better," but said he's not worried about his confidence moving forward.
"You don't get to the National Football League by being fragile emotionally," Tomlin said. "There are a lot of confident guys I work with. You win some battles, you lose some battles and you come back fighting. That's just the nature of the men who play the game at this level."
Jones, who played left tackle at the University of Georgia, spent last season playing on the right side of the line for the Steelers and is back now on his traditional left side.