When they made the decision to sign Aaron Rodgers, the Pittsburgh Steelers knew they wouldn’t be getting the MVP version of the future Hall of Fame quarterback. That form of Rodgers certainly didn’t show up on Sunday. What Rodgers did do, and what the Steelers were hoping he’d do, is make the important throws when needed. His leadership during a difficult game is what really stood out to former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher.
“Aaron Rodgers made some great throws,” Cowher said on CBS NFL Today after the game ended on Sunday. “I love his leadership. Him saying ‘I have to play better’, I think that’s what’s been missing for a long time on that football team. So I think there’s a great compliment of things going on.”
Cowher is referring to comments made by Rodgers after the game. He said that he has to play better and credited the defense for helping pull out the win. He’s not wrong, either. The offense started fast but fell off for a majority of the game afterwards. The defense forced turnover after turnover and watched the offense waste the opportunities over and over again. Rodgers’ worst play came on this interception over the middle of the field.
This is just a bad read by Aaron Rodgers. He never sees Spillane and gives him one of the easiest interceptions he’ll ever have. It’s also just an uncharacteristic play from Rodgers, who came into the season with the lowest interception rate in NFL history.
He certainly wasn’t perfect. But Rodgers still did get the job done when the Steelers needed him to. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 139 yards, throwing for two touchdowns and that one interception. However, when the Steelers got the ball back and had a chance to drain the clock and take the lead, Rodgers did what was needed.
He led the Steelers down the field, in a smart, methodical drive. Pittsburgh drained the clock down as much as they could before Rodgers hit Calvin Austin III with a back shoulder throw for the eventual game-winning score.
This is the difference between Rodgers and the quarterbacks of Pittsburgh’s past. When the Steelers need him to go win a game, they can trust his veteran leadership to come through. Rodgers marched down the field and methodically gave his team the lead, one they didn’t let slip.
Going forward, the Steelers still need to play better. They’ve got a long way to go before convincing anyone they can be a Super Bowl-caliber team. On Sunday, they did just enough to claw out a road win, partially thanks to Aaron Rodgers.
