Steelers Scouting Report: Seattle Seahawks, Week 2

Steel City Underground scouts the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponents each week of the 2025 NFL regular season ahead of the games to preview the upcoming matchup with a focus on key players, potential outcomes, news, and the latest social media chatter.

The Pittsburgh Steelers exited their 2025 NFL regular season opener in Week 1 with a victory, but it was far from a cake walk. Their next opponent, the Seattle Seahawks, will go head to head with them at Acrisure Stadium in Week 2. The Seahawks lost their first game of the season to the San Francisco 49ers (13-17) and hope to rebound.

Does Macdonald have blueprint for stopping Steelers offense?

If you were to believe everything that you read, you might think that Aaron Glenn (New York Jets head coach) got on the phone Monday morning and called Mike Macdonald and told him exactly how to stop the Steelers offense. The Seahawks beat is rumbling with conjecture that Aaron Rodgers will be a dink-and-dunk guy, that D.K. Metcalf is washed, and that Pittsburgh can’t establish a run game. Some of that thinking is likely motivated partially by statistical fact; the Steelers offense could have been better last weekend. But the speculation has no real legs to it.

Lee Vowell of 12th Man Rising, a Fansided site, shared a headline that reads as follows: “Steelers are paying $150 million to learn what Seahawks already know.” In the article, Vowell stated, “What (Metcalf) lacks is something that Pittsburgh and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have probably already learned, and will re-learn during the regular season… He is a bad route-runner.” In another article leading up to this weekend’s game, Vowell said, “A motivated Metcalf is usually a great Metcalf.”

In their first game together, Rodgers connected with Metcalf 4/7 times for 83 yards. Bad route or not, that combination resulted in 20.8 yards per catch percentage. The longest pass from Rodgers was to Metcalf for a gain of 31 yards. Steelers fans probably aren’t freaking out – if that was Vowell’s intention.

“There is a catch to what Rodgers and his offense were doing. Maybe the Jets didn’t game-plan for that, while the Seattle Seahawks can,” Vowell wrote. “The quarterback didn’t throw deep very much and instead tried to dink and dunk… Rodgers is unlikely to challenge the Seahawks deep…”

If Macdonald is planning to dial-up the type of pressure along the defensive front that the Jets did, then there is merit to the line of thinking. The Steelers were not explosive along the offensive line, did not give Rodgers enough protection, and struggled to hold blocks.

The elephant in the room is Seattle’s defensive backfield, however. Cornerback Riq Woolen was exposed badly in Week 1 and may be replaced by Josh Jobe. Two-time Pro Bowl corner Devon Witherspoon was listed as not participating in practice Wednesday due to a knee injury. Rookie safety Nick Emmanwori, who suffered a high-ankle sprain last week, may be headed to injured-reserved. Safety Julian Love is dealing with a groin injury.

That is a recipe for Rodgers and Metcalf to find ways to connect, not a deterrent.

Rodgers still managed to throw for four touchdowns against the Jets, including one to running back Jaylen Warren. Pittsburgh has a variety of options beyond screens that they utilized to tamper the pressure New York was sending. And they’re more likely to open the throttle if the week’s practice ironed out issues.

Related:

• Seattle Seahawks injury report
• Seahawks depth chart
• 5 Steelers surprises in Sunday’s win against the Jets

Can Seattle field a competitive offense?

There is grumbling and water cooler talk that, after one regular season game, the Seahawks aren’t pleased with the play of quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold went just 16-for-23 with 150 yards in the loss to the ‘Niners. Did Seattle made a mistake in signing Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract in free agency?

Seattle hired Klint Kubiak for a Shanahan-style offense, but the run and run-play option was stale and predictable in the game with San Francisco. In 50 plays, the Seahawks managed just 230 yards of total offense. The run game result was 84 yards on 26 carries; narrow that to the running backs’ stats and it was 67 yards on 22 carries.

Those numbers, on their own, aren’t overly concerning when considering Seattle’s opponent. But, add in the fact that outside of Jaxon Smith-Njigba (who accounted for 124 of Seattle’s yards via the passing game) no one else really showed up, including Cooper Kupp, and concern grows.

The ‘Niners possessed the ball for 37:58 seconds as a result, compared to the Seahawks’ 22:02.

“I think it’s indicative of we need to play more complementary football, and we need to be more efficient on first down… We just have to play better in those situations, and then we’ll maintain the ball better,” Macdonald said in regard to time of possession.

Pittsburgh’s run defense was suspect in Week 1, but their pass defense was tight. If the Steelers have worked out the kinks in run defense, the Seahawks could be in for another long slog of a game in hostile territory on the road. Converting key downs and winning the time of possession battle will be key.