The Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings will take the field in Dublin tomorrow, and while the backdrop is different, the opponent under center is all too familiar for the Vikings. Aaron Rodgers has been tormenting defenses for two decades, and Minnesota safety Harrison Smith knows that better than most.
Asked this week what makes Rodgers so challenging to prepare for, Smith didn’t hesitate. “It’s a lot to sum up,” he said. “Just his total control of the game and understanding defenses… I’ve seen him make some throws you don’t think are possible before, so he’s still got that.”
That’s what Pittsburgh was betting on when they brought Rodgers in. The arm and instincts would hold up long enough to elevate an offense that has been searching for an identity. The first few weeks have been uneven, but even in limited flashes, you see the qualities Smith mentioned. The quick recognition of the ability to change the play at the line, the knack for punishing defenses that lose discipline.
Smith also points to Rodgers’ signature trick, baiting defenses into offsides and cashing in on those free plays. “There’s always something to be aware of with him,” Smith said that’s not just lip service. For years, Rodgers thrived on manipulating the snap count, forcing defenders into mistakes and capitalizing on their errors.
Smith has been on the wrong end of it plenty of times. Since 2012, the two have faced off 18 times in NFC North battles. Rodgers has thrown 34 touchdowns against Minnesota in that span, many of them coming with Smith lurking in the secondary.
For the Vikings, the challenge is familiar. Contain Rodgers, get home with pressure, and don’t fall for the cadence games. For the Steelers, it’s about giving him enough time to make the kinds of throws Smith still respects after all these years. Protection has been shaky, and if Rodgers is running for his life, all the arm talent in the world won’t matter.
Tomorrow’s game is unique, a historic match-up overseas with plenty of frustrations around it. But the football part stays the same. Harrison Smith knows Rodgers. He’s seen the bad snaps, the broken plays, the jaw-dropping throws. That perspective cuts through the noise. Rodgers may be on the back end of his career, but he’s still the guy who can turn a defense’s one mistake into a highlight.
