Throughout the offseason, plenty of people had plenty of things to say about Aaron Rodgers. It’s safe to say he quieted some of those doubters with a terrific Steelers debut Sunday, leading the team to a 34-32 win over the New York Jets. Rodgers already seems to be giving the Pittsburgh its best quarterback play in years, something former Steeler Patrick Peterson thinks fans should be excited about.
“I think this is a great match, a match made in heaven for Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin,” Peterson said on CBS Sports HQ on Sunday. “Mike Tomlin, we all know what he has been able to do with the quarterbacks that he had in the past. Aaron Rodgers came in today, in his first game, throwing four touchdowns and zero interceptions. If I am a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I am elated right now with what we have as a quarterback.”
However, if the Steelers are going to be true contenders this season they will have to play better defensively. To the defense’s credit, it did come up with a massive stop when the Steelers needed it most at the end of the game. However, a Jets offense that was thought to be one-dimensional moved the ball with ease throughout the day.
That said, it’s easier to mask those issues when you have somebody like Aaron Rodgers playing quarterback. He looked very impressive, completing 22 of his 30 pass attempts for 244 yards. His four touchdowns to no interceptions were impressive as well, and really was the difference in the game.
There were plenty of storylines regarding Rodgers and his relationship with Arthur Smith, but the two seemed to be on the same page at MetLife Stadium. A lot of what the Steelers did offensively was focused around the line of scrimmage, but Rodgers did step up and make some big throws when necessary. Especially this one to Calvin Austin III, giving the Steelers the lead late in the game.
There are plenty of teachable things from Sunday’s win. The defense has to be better, and the Steelers have to eventually find some sort of running game. It’s going to be tough to rely on Rodgers throughout the season without running the ball well. That’s something the Steelers have not done in camp, the preseason and now in Week 1.
However, the difference in Aaron Rodgers and other recent Steelers quarterbacks is vast. Last season, with the defense and run game both sputtering, Pittsburgh probably doesn’t win this game. Yet, the quarterback the Steelers waited months on this offseason came through when it mattered the most.
