Mike McCarthy regrets heated sideline exchange with Aaron Rodgers after Steelers’ 24-27 loss to Browns

it head coach Mike McCarthy said he regrets the language he directed at quarterback Aaron Rodgers during Thursday night’s 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns, after a hot microphone caught the exchange on the national broadcast.

What the cameras picked up

Midway through the first quarter, Aaron Rodgers was seen gesturing toward the sideline and yelling, “What the f---? Call it!” The picture then cut to Mike McCarthy, who looked upset and was heard muttering a curse of his own. The moment landed on a night when stadium noise already made play-calls hard to hear, and it spread quickly once the broadcast audio went public.

Mike McCarthy owns the words

After the game, Mike McCarthy did not try to walk the clip back. He said the exchange belonged on the field, then accepted that it no longer does.

“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.”

He described Pittsburgh’s opening series as “hectic” and said he was “talking fast, more than normal.” That drive ran nine minutes and 48 seconds, the longest of the Steelers’ season, and ended with a 12-yard touchdown catch by Roman Wilson.

Aaron Rodgers points to the crowd

Aaron Rodgers tied the confusion to the volume inside the stadium rather than to the play call itself.

“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.”

The frustration did not stop with that one series. Aaron Rodgers looked exasperated coming off the field at several points, even after the early score had put Pittsburgh in front.

Why the offense went quiet

The opening touchdown did not travel. Aaron Rodgers threw an interception to end the second possession after only four plays, and the Cleveland Browns turned it into a touchdown four plays later. Cleveland then scored 21 unanswered points. Pittsburgh’s next six drives gained just 101 yards and finished with four punts, a missed field goal and one made field goal.

Aaron Rodgers credited the Cleveland defense and took part of the blame himself.

“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.”

A late rally that still fell short

Pittsburgh found life in the fourth quarter. Two touchdowns, plus an Aaron Rodgers quarterback sneak for the two-point conversion, tied the score with less than two minutes left. The Cleveland Browns answered by driving into field-goal range and winning on a 56-yard kick.

Aaron Rodgers finished 22 of 40 for 299 yards. He was hit 10 times, sacked five times and threw two interceptions.

Mike McCarthy said the protection problems were plain

“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.”

The sideline audio will keep circulating. The result is already in the standings: a one-score loss that left the Cleveland Browns alone atop the AFC North.