Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was surgical in Monday night’s 28-15 win over the Miami Dolphins. The four-time MVP completed 23 of 27 passes (85.2%) for 224 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 125.9.
Rodgers’ 85.2% completion percentage was his best since 2014. Over the last two weeks, he has a 75.4% completion rate with 508 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 116.0 passer rating. His 0.25 EPA per dropback is seventh in the NFL among QBs with 40 attempts during this span, per TruMedia.
Rodgers feels like he’s in the zone right now.
“Probably the cold weather,” Rodgers said of finding his stride. “I’m a California kid, but I’ve always enjoyed playing in the cold weather. I feel like there can be some advantages to the offense, especially when you’re playing on a field that’s a little beat up or super slick like Green Bay became over the years. So, I’ve always enjoyed that. I’m gifted with hands that can handle a cold ball and a ball that’s a little slick when the weather gets cold like this. So, I’ve always been able to throw pretty good, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. There was some nice catches. There was some good adjustments. There were some dink and dunks. But I knew I needed to be efficient today.”
Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers in the third quarter. It was his first TD catch as a Steelers.
Valdes-Scantling, who signed with the Steelers’ practice squad on Nov. 4, made his debut with the team in last week’s win against the Baltimore Ravens. In that game, Valdes-Scantling played in 16 snaps of offense and was targeted once.
MVS is a longtime teammate of Rodgers, going back to their days in Green Bay. He’s one of Rodgers’ all-time favorite teammates.
The respect is mutual. MVS thinks Rodgers is the greatest of all time.
“I think he’s the best quarterback to ever play this game — no matter if he’s 65 years old or not,” Valdes-Scantling said after the game. “He can still spin the ball and he’s always playing chess with the defense, getting guys into the spots that are gonna get them open. I’m honored to be on his team again.”
After two years with the New York Jets, Rodgers is glad to play meaningful games in December again.
“In [2022 with the Packers], we were 4-8 at one point and we won four straight and gave ourselves a chance,” Rodgers said. “[In 2023 with the New York Jets], I played four plays. [In 2024 with the Jets], we weren’t very good. So, it’s been a while since I’ve been part of stuff like this. Nothing changes. I feel real comfortable in this environment.”
The Steelers scored touchdowns on four straight drives to take a 28-3 lead in the fourth quarter. Rodgers thinks the Steelers finally met the standard of where they needed to be against Miami.
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