Aaron Rodgers’ Week 1 box score does not do him justice in the slightest. The 42 year-old quarterback was slinging the pill all over the yard in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 20-13 win to kickoff the season, but it was a victory that could have been much more convincing had Rodgers gotten help on some high-quality throws from his receivers.
Rodgers finished the day 24-of-40 for 221 yards and a touchdown. However, at least one other score was left off the board, and multiple big gains slipped through the hands
of DK Metcalf.
The potential touchdown came when Rodgers launched a deep ball to Roman Wilson. Contact was made, but the third-year receiver fought through it, jumped in the air, and had the ball in his hands. When he came do the ground, the ball popped out, erasing what would have been a 44-yard score.
Metcalf had an especially forgetful day. On 10 targets, he totaled just four receptions for 40 yards. One was called back due to his second offensive pass interference of the day, erasing a 19-yard gain. Metcalf was also unable to drag his feet on a well-thrown Rodgers ball down the sideline that would have gone for 21, and he dropped Rodgers’ best throw of the day between two Falcons that would have gained 20.
In totality, those plays kept 104 yards and a touchdown off the board for Rodgers and the Steelers. Had those been caught, we’d be talking about a 28-of-40, 325 yard performance from the four-time MVP and a strong 27-point outing to begin his farewell season. Rodgers himself didn’t seem too bothered, though, as he noted explosive plays were there to be had.
“I think we did a lot of good things,” Rodgers told Pam Oliver after the game. “We had a chance to be really, really explosive. We had a couple drops, couple off-targets, couple non-calls that looked like penalties. So that changes the stats. We had a 40-yard PI that could have been a touchdown. We had a couple other ones that could have been big plays… it’s good to be out of here 1-0, though.”
The future Hall of Famer also made sure to praise his teammates, Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt, for their outstanding performances.
“T.J. played unbelievable,” Rodgers said. “He’s been on a different level this entire camp. I’m so proud of him [and] I love the way he leads. And Cam is the epitome of a Pittsburgh Steeler. To be able to share this team with them, to be able to share the leadership opportunity is really, really special in my last year and I’m just so thankful to just be back out here and play the game I love with guys I really respect and love as well.”
Rodgers and the Steelers will clearly be launching the ball more in 2026, which is a refreshing development. As is the group Rodgers calls “The old guys” continuing to halt time in its tracks. It’s the morning after game day, and we have much more to dive into.
Welcome back, T.J. Watt
We, and everyone else in the Steelers media space, have talked extensively about Watt’s performance, but with good reason. After two down seasons, the latter of which saw the three-time sack leader notch just seven takedowns of the quarterback after getting a massive pay day, many assumed we had seen the best of Watt. But maybe we had just seen the best of Watt in a Mike Tomlin-Teryl Austin defense.
The usage of the edge rushers has been a hot topic for years now. The lack of innovation and movement along the defensive line made Pittsburgh’s approach predictable. Plus, as Watt aged, his snap count stayed largely the same, naturally making him less explosive as games, and the season as a whole, went on.
On Sunday, Watt played 38 snaps – the fewest of Pittsburgh’s top three edge rushers. Mike McCarthy and Patrick Graham realize the fresher Watt stays through the game, the greater the chance for explosive plays. I’d say two sacks, three tackles for loss, and his first career pick-six is all the evidence we need that this scheme change, as well as a lower snap count, will reinvigorate the former Defensive Player of the Year and see him look more like the superstar we grew used to seeing week in and week out.
New Steelers defenders show up big
A pair of new Steelers defensive backs left their mark in their first action wearing Steelers colors. Pittsburgh native Jaquan Brisker picked off Cooper Rush to set up an Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth and finished the day with six tackles. Jamel Dean also had a nice outing, finishing with five tackles and a forced fumble on Bijan Robinson that killed a Falcons drive and forced a punt. Dean allowed just 31 yards through the air when targeted, and Brisker picked off the only pass that came his direction.
The Steelers allowed just four receptions to receivers all afternoon with only one of those receptions going for more than 20 yards. Yes, it came against Cooper Rush, but that’s how it is supposed to look when you face a bad quarterback. The secondary did its job and then some, even without Joey Porter Jr.
Quick-hitters
- Michael Pittman had a quiet, but strong debut, catching all three passes thrown his way for 58 yards.
- Talked about it yesterday, but Cam Heyward is ridiculous. Three pass deflections at the line of scrimmage. He is just seven shy of the NFL record for defensive linemen.
- Max Iheanachor should start Week 2. Dylan Cook was bad, and the run game suffered in large part because of it.
- Was good to see Pat Freiermuth start off on the right foot. He was vocal at the end of last season about the frustrations he had in seeing his snap count go way down. He handled it like a good teammate does, and is now back to being a top-notch pass-catching tight end.
- Don’t let Alex Highsmith get lost in the shuffle. Due to Watt and Heyward’s big performances, you’d be forgiven if you forgot Highsmith had two sacks, as well.
Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
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