The Pittsburgh Steelers are kicking off their 2025 campaign this weekend against the New York Jets. I spoke with MacGregor Wells of Gang Green Nation to get a gauge on our opponents heading into the opener.
You can read my questions and his answers below:
1. The NFL has given us a double-revenge game to kick off the season. How are Jets fans feeling about Justin Fields, and what are your lingering feelings about Aaron Rodgers?
MW: Jets fans are split on Justin Fields. The pessimists see a guy who is entering his fifth year in the NFL, a point at which most quarterbacks have already seen most of whatever development they’re capable of. Fields has been a below-average quarterback up
until now, and many Jets fans view him as likely to remain a below-average quarterback, with excellent mobility but not very good passing skills. Others see a guy who has improved every year he’s been in the league, and may have upside still to come.
The optimists believe Fields has been in less-than-ideal circumstances in his career, and maybe, if the new Jets regime can right the ship and surround him with talent (a big if, to be sure), Fields can grow into a long-term answer at quarterback. Personally, I have my doubts as to whether Fields will ever be good enough to win a Super Bowl, and to me, that’s really the only goal worth striving for.
As for Aaron Rodgers, most Jets fans are glad he’s gone. Whether or not you believe Fields can be an upgrade, it seems obvious that the Jets are in the early stages of a rebuild. Rodgers, at his age and current level of play, simply does not fit the timeline. By the time the Jets are in a position to be a serious contender, Rodgers will be retired. It was best for both Rodgers and the Jets to part ways. Perhaps he can find success in Pittsburgh one last year. It wouldn’t have happened in New York.
2. The Jets have many of the same players on defense that found success under the previous staff. New head coach Aaron Glenn is a defensive-minded guy. Are there any major changes we should expect?
MW: Several changes should be forthcoming under Aaron Glenn. The previous regime never really emphasized stopping the run. Glenn is trying to change that, though it may take some time and additions to the defensive line before we see a big turnaround there.
The previous regime blitzed at a well below average rate. Glenn will likely do a lot more blitzing.
The previous regime also played man defense in the secondary at a well below average rate. Glenn is likely to do a lot more of that.
3. With Justin Fields under center, we expect a lot of running from the offense. How has that side of the ball looked this summer?
MW: The Jets have had some success running the ball in the preseason. However, I’m not sure how much we can read into that. The preseason primarily showcases backups and backups to backups. In addition, the preseason generally features plain vanilla schemes, unlike what we’re likely to see when the games count. Also, the Jets just lost starting guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to a serious injury. He’s likely out for the season, so the Jets will have to shuffle some things on the offensive line. Considering all that, whatever we saw from the Jets offense in the preseason probably won’t correlate much to the results we can expect in the regular season.
4. Are there any unexpected/under-the-radar players you think could make an impact on this game?
MW: Kene Nwangwu might be somebody to keep an eye on. He’s one of the better kick returners in the league. The Steelers may not have a top coverage unit on special teams. Nwangwu might break one or two returns for a long gain. In a game most expect to be low scoring, that could make a difference.
5. FanDuel has the Steelers as narrow favorites (-2.5) currently. What’s your final score prediction?
MW: Well, the first week’s games are usually pretty wildly unpredictable, and I’m pretty terrible at predicting final scores, so I wouldn’t take my prediction too seriously. I’ll go with Aaron Glenn getting off to a good start with a home upset of the Steelers. In a low-scoring game, I’ll say Jets 17, Steelers 13.
