Bolts From The Blue
This week we’re joined by Ryland Bickley of our Pittsburgh Steelers sister site, Behind The Steel Curtain, to help preview this week’s matchup with the Chargers.
A big shoutout to him for his help, and let’s go ahead and jump on in!
1.) How has the Aaron Rodgers experience been thus far for the Steelers? Are fans behind him 100 percent? Are there skeptics in regards to how far he can take the team this season?
There were plenty of — understandably — skeptical fans when the season started, but Rodgers has met expectations and then some during his time with the Steelers. He still has plenty of arm talent and the football IQ of a future Hall of Famer.
One hundred percent might be a little optimistic, but for the most part, the Pittsburgh fanbase has embraced Rodgers. And the drama issues he was knocked for in Green Bay haven’t made any sort of appearance this year.
Of course, while Rodgers has looked like the quarterback the Jets wanted to get back in 2023, he still isn’t the version of himself that won multiple MVPs with the Packers. Beyond just some expected regression in his natural abilities (namely, mobility), Rodgers’ unwillingness to push the ball deep has been the biggest flaw in his game this season.
Some of it is just the structure of the Steelers offense. But Rodgers has looked uncomfortable in the pocket at times, even with good protection, rushing to the check down as one of his first reads. He’s tied for the fastest time to throw in the NFL season at 2.59 seconds in 2025.
I wouldn’t say there are many Steelers fans who see this team making it deep in the playoffs. But I also wouldn’t put Rodgers as one of the main reasons why that’s the case.
2.) From an outside perspective, the Steelers defense looks to be underperforming compared to recent seasons. Is that the truth or are the numbers not the whole story? What’s the overall vibe about the group entering Week 10?
It’s definitely the truth. Even those of us who follow this team closely were shocked at just how flat the defense — the highest-paid in the league, by the way — has looked for much this season.
To be fair, there have been some real bright spots: namely, the wins over the Browns and Colts. But the defense has flip-flopped back and forth from looking like a top-10 unit to the worst in the league over the first half of the season.
*Obviously, the reasons why are complicated. But to put it in a nutshell, it comes down to a three-ish main themes: A). The Steelers are one of the least schematically complex defenses in the league, and they still have communication struggles. B). The team is paying a lot of money to older stars who are still good, but not quite as great as they used to be. C). When the pass rush can’t get home, the...
