He’s been knocked around in the pocket through two weeks behind a struggling offensive line, but 41-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers continues to play some decent football.
Across two weeks, Rodgers has thrown for 447 yards, completing 63.5% of his passes to go along with five touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s not throwing all that deep, but his accuracy and arm strength remain very impressive, and when he’s given time he’s operating well within the offense.
Knowing that, it’s not a surprise to see him inside the top 20 of both NFL.com and CBS Sports’ QB rankings entering Week 3.
For NFL.com’s Nick Shook, Rodgers ranks No. 16. For CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, Rodgers actually climbed two spots this week and lands at No. 13.
“His home opener was spoiled by two picks, but only one was a true misfire,” Benjamin writes. “In some ways, Rodgers showcased even more impressive off-platform shots than in a four-touchdown Week 1 win. If only the Steelers could block for him, too.”
Rodgers’ arm strength is still among the best in the NFL. He can make all of the throws, puts the ball wherever he wants, and is even showing some surprising mobility early in the season. He’s needed that behind a porous offensive line, so it’s good to see he can still move.
The two interceptions against the Seahawks were frustrating, especially the first one. It came in the red zone, but it wasn’t Rodgers’ fault. Calvin Austin III tried to make a play where he shouldn’t have, and it led to a deflection and an interception. His second one came late in the game when Rodgers tried to force the ball down the field with the Steelers trailing.
It happens.
“Aaron Rodgers fell back to earth in Week 2,” Shook writes. “While his first interception against the Seahawks wasn’t entirely his fault — in fact, it was an accurate throw that produced the worst outcome — he wasn’t as sharp as he was in his debut.”
I don’t know that I would characterize Rodgers as not sharp in Week 2. He had some guys dropping passes. DK Metcalf struggled to catch the football early in the game against his former team, and Pat Freiermuth dropped a remarkable pass from Rodgers on the move in the first quarter that could have really given the Steelers a spark.
Rodgers couldn’t have thrown it any better.
If the Steelers can protect him a bit better, not to mention establish a consistent run game, and the receivers can start catching the football better, their offense could really take off and be much better than what it was in Week 2.
