Carolina
Panthers
2-12
21
FINAL
41
Pittsburgh
Steelers
0-14
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive Week 16 matchup, the Pittsburgh Steelers topped the Carolina Panthers with a final score of 41-21, solidifying their playoff hopes as the regular season draws to a close. This victory not only showcased the Steelers' offensive prowess but also marked a significant moment in their quest for postseason positioning.
Leading the charge for Pittsburgh was veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who delivered a masterful performance with 391 passing yards and four touchdown passes. His connection with wide receiver Michael Pittman was particularly noteworthy, as Pittman racked up 157 receiving yards, consistently putting the Panthers' defense on the back foot. Running back Jaylen Warren contributed effectively on the ground with 71 rushing yards, helping to balance the Steelers' attack.
Defensively, Pittsburgh was relentless, with Cam Heyward standing out by recording 1.5 sacks, putting pressure on the Panthers' offense throughout the game. The turning point came midway through the second quarter when the Steelers' defense stifled a potential scoring drive, allowing them to extend their lead and seize control of the game. Despite a solid effort from the Panthers' Devin Lloyd, who tallied nine tackles, Pittsburgh's defensive dominance ultimately paved the way for their commanding victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 40 | 21 | 53% | 391 | 4 | 2 | 99.0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 34 | 17 | 50% | 190 | 1 | 0 | 76.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 12 | 71 | 5.9 | 34 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 20 | 67 | 3.4 | 21 | 2 | 15 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 8 | 27 | 3.4 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 12 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 5 | 14 | 2.8 | — | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Pittman | WR | 8 | 157 | 19.6 | 64 | 1 | 63 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 5 | 132 | 26.4 | 90 | 2 | 88 | 1 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 4 | 70 | 17.5 | 9 | 1 | 26 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 5 | 59 | 11.8 | 19 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 3 | 55 | 18.3 | 9 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 3 | 44 | 14.7 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 5 | 30 | 6.0 | 6 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Lloyd | WILL | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nic Scourton | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yahya Black | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Rapp | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Griffith | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Princely Umanmielen | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lathan Ransom | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Jones II | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Claudin Cherelus | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 48 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

