The Steelers' tempers flared in Cleveland. The players say it's a sign of passion, not impatience

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers learned the NFL is a reality show, complete with cameras that rarely miss a thing — particularly anything he does — long, long ago.

So forgive the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback if he doesn't get worked up over a little jawing during the course of a game, be it on the sideline or the field, be it with a teammate or a coach.

Yes, the world caught a few glimpses of obvious frustration during a loss to Cleveland last week. No, Rodgers does not believe it's a big deal or a sign that there's any sort of simmering turmoil lurking underneath the surface.

“I think it is a positive,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “Player-led teams are the best teams and I think any time you’re seeing the fire and the passion from all those guys, it’s a good thing.”

There was plenty of both against the Browns, all of it playing out in primetime and ready to be captured for posterity, and broken down to within an inch of its life online in the aftermath.

There was Rodgers barking toward the sideline, apparently frustrated at how slow the play calls were coming in. There was longtime defensive tackle Cam Heyward venting as the Browns took control in the middle of the game. There was edge rusher TJ Watt doing the same.

In a crowded 1 p.m. window on a Sunday, maybe it gets lost in the shuffle. When it's the only game of the night, it gets magnified, especially when things go sideways, as they did during Pittsburgh's fifth straight loss in Cleveland.

When Rodgers and coach Mike McCarthy had what appeared to be a testy exchange at the end of one series, they didn't take it personally, at least publicly anyway.

Asked if that was just the “normal” way he communicates with the man who has served as his head coach for 14 years across two different franchises, Rodgers smiled.

“Sometimes, yeah,” Rodgers said.

When the follow-up wondered if doing it that way was effective, Rodgers simply added: “Yeah, we've had a lot of success together.”

Certainly in Green Bay, where Rodgers and McCarthy won the Super Bowl after the 2010 season. Not quite yet in Pittsburgh, which began McCarthy's first season in his hometown and Rodgers' last in the NFL with the usual high expectations.

The Steelers' 2-2 start has been uneven at best. McCarthy is quick to point out there are few teams in the league that feel good about where they're at early in the season. While not pleased with the result in Cleveland, he can't say his players didn't respond when he asked them to play with emotion, which can sometimes be hard to come by when playing on a short week.

“It was important to make sure you bring the energy, but with that comes the discipline of it," McCarthy said. “So, I think those are opportunities for growth, but I’d much rather have too much energy than not enough.”

The Steelers' sideline in Cleveland was hardly the only place where emotion spilled over in Week 4. The NFL suspended line judge Jeff Seeman and referee Adrian Hill for their interactions with players last weekend. San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw approached former coach Sean Payton at midfield after the 49ers dispatched Payton and his Denver Broncos.

McCarthy didn't go so far as to call his exchange with Rodgers normal, though he said he and the four-time MVP talked multiple times over the weekend about it and other things. The 62-year-old McCarthy was more concerned about his word choice than anything else.

“I’m getting to grandfather age,” he said. “I don’t want to be saying those type of words. But it’s an emotional, competitive environment.”

In some ways, what people saw on the field was just the extension of what happens behind closed doors and should be taken as a sign of trust.

“I think with our group, we’re able to have hard conversations anywhere,” he said. “We don’t have, like very sensitive guys on our team. We can be who we want to be and challenge each other and that’s how it should be.”

If that challenge happens to be misinterpreted by those on the outside, so be it.

“When you’re trying to reach something, trying to be, you know, the best in the world," Heyward said, “it’s up to your guys to be honest with each other when it’s uncomfortable.”

And there's not a lot of comfort to go around in Pittsburgh at the moment, just as it is for most other teams sitting at .500. The Steelers have the added layers of having a future Hall of Famer behind center whose every word is parsed and the monthslong saga of cornerback Joey Porter Jr., whose contract impasse and protracted absence ended with a trade to Dallas less than 24 hours before Pittsburgh took the field in Cleveland.

While former players — including some former Steelers — have pointed to Porter's status as proof the team has splintered, Heyward hardly seems concerned.

“I’m worried about the guys in this locker room,” he said. “I’ve seen rifts before that hasn’t broken this team ... we got a solid group and that’s not gonna break us."

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