Carolina
Panthers
0-9
19
FINAL
39
Pittsburgh
Steelers
1-7
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive Week 16 matchup, the Pittsburgh Steelers topped the Carolina Panthers with a final score of 39-19, solidifying their playoff aspirations as the season nears its conclusion. With this victory, the Steelers continue to demonstrate their dominance in the AFC, while the Panthers face critical questions heading into the final stretch of the season.
Pittsburgh's offense was led by veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who threw for an impressive 344 yards and two touchdowns. The receiving corps was bolstered by DK Metcalf's standout performance, racking up 120 yards, while Breece Hall added a solid ground game with 88 rushing yards. The Steelers' ability to stretch the field and maintain a balanced attack proved crucial in their commanding victory.
Defensively, Payton Wilson stood out for Pittsburgh, recording 1.5 sacks that helped disrupt Carolina’s rhythm throughout the game. The turning point came late in the second quarter when Wilson's sack led to a turnover, allowing the Steelers to capitalize and extend their lead. As the Panthers struggled to find their footing, Pittsburgh’s defensive pressure proved too much, sealing the win and showcasing their readiness for the playoffs.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 40 | 28 | 70% | 344 | 2 | 0 | 112.9 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 37 | 20 | 54% | 249 | 2 | 0 | 93.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breece Hall | HB | 17 | 88 | 5.2 | 38 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 16 | 54 | 3.4 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 8 | 22 | 2.8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DK Metcalf | WR | 9 | 120 | 13.3 | 28 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 6 | 97 | 16.2 | 19 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 6 | 85 | 14.2 | 25 | 1 | 30 | 1 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 4 | 63 | 15.8 | 9 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Roman Wilson | WR | 3 | 50 | 16.7 | 9 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 2 | 41 | 20.5 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| Derius Davis | WR | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| John Metchie III | WR | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 17 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 2 | 32 | 16.0 | 13 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Breece Hall | HB | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Tommy Tremble | TE | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | SS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adoree' Jackson | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrel Dodson | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| VJ Payne | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Isaiah Simmons | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyler Owens | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Lloyd | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keeanu Benton | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Herbig | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson Kuwatch | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nic Scourton | LEDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jabril Cox | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Kilgore | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Lee III | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elandon Roberts | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 6 | 6 | 3 | 50 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 2 | 2 | 1 | 48 |

