Behind the Steel Curtain
It was a nail-biter with 66 total points scored as the Steelers beat the Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon. A close game was no surprise. An offensive explosion? Not many saw it coming.
Regardless, there are plenty of takeaways to be had.
Aaron Rodgers sure quieted some doubters with an electric Steelers debut. Four touchdowns, no interceptions, 244 yards — and even an opening drive score!
It wasn’t the most jaw-dropping performance we’ve ever seen from Rodgers, but he looked sharp at 41 years old, connecting with seven different pass catchers and connecting on passes at every level of the field. He didn’t turn the ball over, completed 73.3% of his pass attempts, and his constant adjustments at the line of scrimmage didn’t go unnoticed. He looked every bit of an aging future Hall of Famer who can still get the job done.
Last year, Russell Wilson raised what had been a low bar of quarterback play post-Ben Roethlisberger. On Sunday, Rodgers raised it even more. His four-touchdown performance — in his first game in the black and gold — was better than anything Wilson put on the stat sheet during his time in Pittsburgh.
And while it’s still Week 1 and we don’t know what any team will truly look like this year, the Jets’ defense isn’t a slouch. The Aaron Rodgers we saw on Sunday might be here to stay.
…If he can stay healthy.
I wasn’t buying the Broderick Jones hype over training camp, and the Steelers’ left tackle didn’t do anything to boost my confidence on Sunday. He was the primary blocker on three of the four sacks Pittsburgh gave up against the Jets, and allowed a handful of additional pressures.
Jones was the standout, but the rest of the offensive line disappointed overall. The Steelers had a brutal 53 yards of team rushing; Jaylen Warren had a team-best yards per rush with just 3.4.
That lack of a running element in the offense makes Rodgers’ Week 1 performance all the more impressive. But due to the Steelers’ O-line woes, the Jets defense was able to tee off on him on play action. Rodgers took a number of rough hits on Sunday, turning around to see the New York defensive line running full speed at him.
It’s a tough situation for any passer, and at 41 years old, Rodgers has even less mobility and potential arm angles at his disposal.
A 34-point debut for the Steelers offense was unexpected and is cause for celebration. But that success might be hanging by a thread.
The above is a rarely-used Tomlinism that the Steelers head coach broke out in his halftime interview. The highly-paid and star-studded Pittsburgh defense didn’t look the part at all on Sunday, giving up 32 points, 394 total yards, and 6.4 yards per play.
And it’s hard to pin the...
