Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers was sacked three times and hit a total of seven times in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season opener against the New York Jets on Sunday, something that head coach Mike Tomlin said was unacceptable.
Tomlin said that in response to a question about the play of young tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu, but on Wednesday, Rodgers took the brunt of the blame for how many times he ended up on the MetLife Stadium turf.
“I don’t think I was moving that well,” Rodgers said. “I think I ran, kind of, into at least one or two sacks. So I’ve gotta do a better job of using my legs. I might be old, but I still feel like I can move around pretty good and I wasn’t moving the way I usually like to move.”
Rodgers said that he was dealing with some back tightness throughout the game that the thought impacted his mobility.
As far as the protection, he said he thought it was mostly pretty good, and specifically expressed his confidence in Jones’ ability to protect his blind side.
“I thought the protection was pretty good for most of the game,” Rodgers said. “There’s a couple fundamental things to clean up. Pat [Meyer]’s gonna take care of those guys. I’ve just gotta get the ball out. …
“I really like Brod. I’ve gotten to know him during training camp. I like what he’s about. I like his attitude. He’s a genuinely positive guy. I’ve got a lot of confidence in him watching my back.”
Rodgers said that overall, despite the seven hits, he “felt pretty good” after the game.
“I didn’t take too many big shots,” Rodgers said. “I wasn’t moving as well as I wanted to, so I made sure I got in the cold tub and got massaged Monday and Tuesday, which is pretty standard. Every time you go to a new city, you’ve either got to bring someone with you or find someone that can work on you that you trust. So I figured that whole process out.
“We’ve got 16 plus more of these, so I’m going to get into that rhythm.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Aaron Rodgers Takes Blame for Sacks, Trusts Steelers Pass Protection
