The Seattle Seahawks are on the road in search of their first victory of the 2025 season in Week 2, facing off against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Helping Field Gulls preview the matchup this week is Ryland Bickey, assistant editor at Behind the Steel Curtain, who took the time to answer the five questions posed. Without wasting any further time, here are the questions and answers.
1. It’s been a quarterback carousel in Pittsburgh the past few seasons, and Aaron Rodgers obviously isn’t likely to be a long-term
solution. With that said, how did he look in Week 1 and what should Seahawks fans expect to see out of the former MVP?
It was a great Steelers debut for Rodgers last week, who completed over 70% of his passes with four touchdowns. His performance was even more impressive given the Steelers had no run game stability (just 53 team yards on the ground) and he was under constant pressure. The offensive line was a rough watch in both the run and pass game.
As a result, that’s also why there’s a lot of worry if Rodgers can keep that pace. The Steelers offense was extremely one dimensional against the Jets. It wasn’t just the lack of the run game – Rodgers had under 100 air yards and Pittsburgh hardly pushed the ball downfield at all.
Plus, there’s questions as to how well the 41-year-old quarterback will hold up over the course of the season. His mobility is clearly worse than it used to be, and his health might become a long term question as well.
I think Seattle will do a better job of clouding Rodgers’ signature pre-snap reads in the quick game (I think back to the pick six he threw against Leonard Williams last year), so if the Steelers continue to struggle in the other aspects of their offense, they could be in trouble.
But drawing conclusions from Week 1 is an impossible task. What we know is that Aaron Rodgers still looked incredibly sharp against the Jets despite a gameplan that solely found success in the play action game and short/intermediate passes.
But Steeler fans are far more worried about the offense supporting Rodgers than the quarterback himself entering Week 2.
2. What’s the feeling among fans about DK Metcalf, and how did his performance in Week 1 impact the opinions of any fans?
I can’t speak for everyone, but Metcalf looked exactly as advertised against the Jets. He’s a size-speed nightmare who’s still a tier below the best at his position in the NFL. I’m sure Seahawks fans don’t need a full rundown of his strengths and weaknesses.
Metcalf was still that receiver in Week 1 against the Jets. His first target ended in a clean drop, but he was an excellent weapon in the short passing game, opening up the Steelers offense with 73 yards after the catch per NFL Pro.
While we’ve yet to see what Metcalf and Rodgers can do downfield, the former Seahawk has been a great fit for Rodgers’ underneath targets. He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands.
As for the fan sentiment regarding Metcalf: I know Seattle fans had issues with his volatility – and to be fair, the Steelers haven’t faced any low spots in the season yet – but compared to George Pickens, Metcalf has been a welcome change in Pittsburgh. We’re just happy he isn’t repeatedly jogging routes on plays when the ball isn’t going to him.
3. Who are a pair of Steelers, one on each side of the ball, whose name Seattle fans may not be familiar with heading into the game, but should know before kickoff?
On offense it would be wide receiver Calvin Austin III, who was second on the team in receiving yards against the Jets. He’s an undersized receiver at 5’9, 162 pounds, but he ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash coming out of college and has developed into a rock-solid weapon in the pros. His speed was an asset in the Steelers’ play-action passing attack against the Jets, and he even had a great contested catch.
On defense, it’ll be cornerback Brandin Echols. With starting boundary corner Joey Porter Jr. out this week, it’ll be Echols filling in. He played well in 10 snaps versus the Jets, looking solid in coverage and comfortable coming downhill to make tackles. Plus, his outside/inside versatility allowed the Steelers to move Jalen Ramsey around the secondary. Echols is a downgrade from Porter but he’s still a high-end reserve cornerback. I think he’s capable of a good game on Sunday.
4. If you could take one member off the Seahawks and add them to the Pittsburgh roster, who would it be and why?
Fun question! It’s tempting to want to pair Jaxon Smith-Njigba with D.K. Metcalf once again, but the Steelers’ most glaring need is on the offensive line. Left tackle Broderick Jones has been the weakest link up front for Pittsburgh, both against the Jets and in past seasons. As a result, I’d probably poach the promising Charles Cross of the Seattle roster.
5. What’s your prediction for the game?
As I mentioned earlier, I have a hard time feeling too comfortable with any prediction following just one week of football. That being said, I think the Seattle defense matches up better against the Steelers than the Jets did last week. But the star-studded Pittsburgh defense is also due for a return to form after a disappointing season opener.
The game will be at Acrisure Stadium, but I think the Seahawks get a narrow victory here, 24-20.
And now it’s on to the game itself.
