We will get our first look at QB Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. When he takes the field against his old team, the New York Jets, it’ll be the first time he’s led the Steelers offense onto the field outside of training camp and practice.
Heck, it’ll be the first time that WR DK Metcalf and TE Jonnu Smith take the field outside of camp and practice for the Steelers, too. The fact that Rodgers, Metcalf and Smith never took the field in the preseason has people a little nervous. Will the Steelers’ offense start out slow on Sunday?
“With the experience that Aaron Rodgers has, and it seems like he’s very, very acclimated with this new offense, I don’t expect to see any slow starts,” former Steelers CB Bryant McFadden said Friday on The PM Team. “I don’t, I don’t. I think Mike Tomlin believes his experience will help them. You look at DK Metcalf being an experienced guy as well. You look at Pat [Freiermuth], you look at Jonnu Smith, they have some experienced skill guys surrounding the quarterback that haven’t been in this rodeo once or twice; they’ve been around for quite some time.”
There is no doubt that Aaron Rodgers is experienced. He’s 41 years old and will turn 42 in December. He does have some experienced skill players around him, as well. DK Metcalf is entering his seventh NFL season, and Jonnu Smith is entering his ninth. All that experience is great. It’s not like the Steelers are fielding a bunch of rookies.
But these players have never played together before this season. And out of the four players McFadden mentioned, only TE Pat Freiermuth has played for the Steelers before this year. They have no experience playing together or playing under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Now, Rodgers said that he understands the offense pretty well.
It’s one thing to mentally understand the offense. It’s another thing entirely to execute it under duress for the first time. And according to our very own Matthew Marczi, Rodgers struggled recently in his season openers. Yet Tomlin decided not to play him in the preseason at all.
On one hand, that makes sense. You don’t want to risk injury in a game that means nothing in terms of standings. However, you could potentially be hampering your offense in that season opener. And no one wants to start the season on a bad foot.
Former NFL head coach Mike McCarthy, who was Aaron Rodgers’ head coach for much of his time with the Green Bay Packers, emphasized the need for Rodgers and company to get into a rhythm early. History shows Rodgers has struggled with that in previous openers. But perhaps the Steelers offense can buck that trend like McFadden thinks.
