Aaron Rodgers believes the Pittsburgh Steelers offense is getting “close” to what he envisioned, even with a new head coach and offensive coordinator still finding their rhythm early in the season. That’s a huge statement from a four-time MVP, especially with the Steelers already sitting at 2-1 after three games.
Finding Their Flow: The Early Numbers and Rodgers’ Vision
Rodgers isn’t sugarcoating it, admitting that the team started from “zero” with the new coaching staff, Mike McCarthy and Brian Angelichio. But he’s feeling a shift. “There are some vibes that start to flow a little bit if you put together a couple good performances in a row,” Rodgers said. They’ve had “one decent performance,” he noted, and the goal is to “stack a few [more of them].” That “decent performance” was a big 30-27 win at home against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, where Rodgers absolutely went off for 292 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Jaylen Warren showed out too, rushing for a whopping 127 yards on 7.5 yards per carry.
But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. That Bengals victory came right after a brutal Week 2 road loss to the New England Patriots where the Steelers offense mustered just three points. They did kick off the season with a 20-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. So far, Rodgers himself has put up 700 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, two interceptions, and an 81.0 passer rating, completing 58.4% of his passes through the first three games. The overall team offensive numbers are a bit rough: 26th in the NFL in points (17.7 per game), 22nd in total yards (303.3 per game), 22nd in rushing yards (95.7 per game), and 18th in passing yards (207.7 per game). Those are numbers that gotta improve if they’re gonna live up to Rodgers’ “close” claim.
It’s All About “Finish” And Spreading The Love
Rodgers really stressed the importance of “finish” in practice, highlighting guys who do it the right way. He even pointed out specific plays that show what he means. Think about a “dump-off to Jaylen [Warren] and Pat [Freiermuth] pancakes a guy,” which turns into a 30-yard gain that gets the offense fired up. He also mentioned a play where DK Metcalf, Darnell Washington, Ben Skowronek, and Germie Bernard all had good blocks, leading to “damn near a 50-yard play.” That’s the kind of gritty, all-out effort he wants to set as the standard.
He’s also making sure everyone gets a piece of the pie. Freiermuth, Roman Wilson, Metcalf, and Warren have all pulled in double-digit receptions already. That’s a sign of a quarterback who trusts his guys. Last year, at 42 years old, Rodgers still slung it for 3,322 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions across 16 games, with a 94.8 passer rating and completing 65.7% of his passes. He even led the Steelers to an AFC North title at 10-7, though their season ended with a 30-6 wild card loss to the Houston Texans.
Can Rodgers and the Steelers offense truly reach that vision? They’ll get another shot on Thursday night, heading on the road to face the Cleveland Browns, who also sit at 2-1. This is a huge divisional test. Will they stack another good performance and prove Rodgers’ “close” feeling is actually for real? We’ll be watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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