CLEVELAND -- Steelers coach Mike McCarthy expressed regret for profanity he used toward quarterback Aaron Rodgers that was caught on the broadcast of Pittsburgh's 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night.
Midway through the first quarter, a hot mic caught a frustrated Rodgers gesturing and yelling toward the sideline, "What the f---? Call it!" The cameras then cut to McCarthy, who appeared to be upset and muttered a profanity.
"Communication sometimes is not the best choice of words, but everybody's competing on the field," McCarthy said. "I think what's said on the field, the way I grew up in this game, usually stays on the field. That's not the case today. I understand that. But any negative communication on my part, I wish I wouldn't use those words."
McCarthy described the team's first series, one that ended in a 12-yard Roman Wilson touchdown, as "hectic" and added that he was "talking fast, more than normal."
Rodgers said the crowd noise made it difficult to communicate at times.
"It was loud," Rodgers said. "It was definitely a good crowd tonight. It was loud. So some of the calls, it was hard to hear for sure."
Though just the first-quarter exchange was caught on a hot mic, Rodgers expressed frustration and exasperation as he came off the field throughout the night. While the Steelers' nine-minute, 48-second opening drive -- their longest of the season -- ended with a score, the offense stagnated in the second and third quarters.
"It's pretty deflating," tight end Pat Freiermuth said of the Steelers' inability to carry over the offensive momentum to the second quarter. "Wish we were able to continue to move the ball on offense, put our defense in better situations."
Rodgers threw an interception to end the Steelers' second drive after four plays, and the Browns turned it into a touchdown four plays later. While the Browns scored 21 straight points, the Steelers' next six possessions gained just 101 yards and ended with four punts, a missed field goal and a made field goal.
"It wasn't our cleanest game all the way around," Rodgers said. "They're a good defense, so you got to give them credit, but they were getting after us on some of the long-yarded stuff that we weren't winning a bunch, and I missed a couple throws that I usually hit."
But Rodgers and the offense put together a furious fourth-quarter comeback with two touchdowns and a Rodgers quarterback sneak for the 2-point conversion to tie the score with less than two minutes to play. The Browns, though, responded by driving into field goal territory and kicking a 56-yard game winner.
Rodgers completed 22 of 40 attempts for 299 yards, but he was hit 10 times, including five sacks, and threw two interceptions. Each of the sacks came as Rodgers faced man defense. Rodgers has been sacked an NFL-worst 12 times against man defense, seven more than any quarterback this season, according to ESPN Research.
"We had some protection challenges," McCarthy said. "They did a good job up front. ... It was herky-jerky. ... I thought it was an aggressive game plan by them. I kind of expected some of it, but I thought it was a very competitive environment tonight."