The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense carried them against the New York Jets, with the team barely scraping by in a 34-32 win. Despite their solid performance, not everyone is sold on the Steelers’ offense. This week, they’ll face the Seattle Seahawks, who also have a talented defense. Mike Macdonald is the architect of that unit after previously serving as the Baltimore Ravens’ the defensive coordinator. Analyst Mina Kimes believes that Macdonald’s defense will do enough this week to help the Seahawks beat the Steelers.
“I’m taking Seattle,” Kimes said Thursday on his podcast. “I didn’t take Seattle last week, to be clear. I picked the Niners. And for me, I just think this Mike Macdonald defense is going to, I’m not saying that the Steelers’ offense last week was fool’s gold because I think that is how they’re going to win against a lot of defenses.
“I just think this defense is going to be a lot better at taking away some of the things we saw, the easy stuff against the Jets.”
In Week 1, Aaron Rodgers looked as good as he has since leaving the Green Bay Packers. He threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns while not turning the ball over. While Rodgers had a solid game, some aren’t so quick to praise him, arguing that the Steelers’ success against the Jets was more about New York’s defense blowing coverages, leaving receivers wide open.
It’s true that the box score doesn’t tell the whole story of the Steelers’ Week 1 performance. Rodgers’ touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith was less about him and more about the play design. Two of their other touchdowns also came from running the same play twice, with the Jets failing to cover it both times.
Therefore, it’s fair to not immediately crown Rodgers and the Steelers’ offense. Macdonald and the Seahawks’ defense will likely provide them with different challenges, too. They’ve got a ton of talent in their secondary, including star cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
Also, Macdonald’s scheme could be more of problem for Rodgers. Last year he had problems against the Seahawks, only throwing for 185 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a Jets loss.
The Steelers haven’t had much offensive success against Macdonald, either. He was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023, and during that time, the Steelers never scored more than 17 points against Baltimore. Granted, the Steelers’ offense didn’t have many good performances over that time, but it’s still an example of how Macdonald has frustrated them in the past.
However, it’s also important to note that the Seahawks’ offense had a rough Week 1. That should give the Steelers’ defense a chance to get back on track. If they can’t exploit that weakness, though, then the Steelers could be in trouble. Their offense might not be able to carry them for a second straight week.
