If there is one reason for optimism for the Steelers, Aaron Rodgers and his 41-year-old arm and legs may well be it. Right now, they don’t have a lot of other options to choose from, anyway. But the quarterback is the most important position on the field, and he still has some gas in the tank. He moved around well Thursday against the Bengals and he pushed the ball down the field—and he held his team to a standard.
That’s what the Steelers need from Rodgers, former NFL WR Chad Johnson said on the Nightcap program. While they were discussing the miscommunication on the flea-flicker, he was also making a broader point. After the game, Rodgers made clear that, at the snap, it wasn’t supposed to be a flea-flicker. He yelled at RB Jaylen Warren after the play for pitching it to him, having evidently audibled out of it.
“He has to do that. He has to hold the players accountable”, Johnson said. “Aaron has to hold the players accountable. Aaron Rodgers understands that every play counts. He has a standard that he has to abide by. He understands everything has to be right, because we’re in a close game. We need every play. Every play has to count. You can’t make that mistake. You can’t. And I’m not saying that mistake cost them the game, but that’s a play they would’ve needed”.
That play went into the books as an incompletion to Jonnu Smith on 2nd and 4. But it was much more than that, in more ways than one. For one thing, it screwed up the Steelers’ momentum. They had scored a touchdown on the game’s opening drive, and Rodgers was moving the ball well until that play stalled the next drive. They never fully recovered after that.
Still, outside of his first interception, Aaron Rodgers played well. He went 23-of-34 passing for 249 yards with four touchdowns. While he threw two interceptions, the second was the result of a defender ripping the ball away from his receiver.
Rodgers is known to be thorny at times, and he certainly makes his feelings known. You can tell by his facial expressions throughout a game when he isn’t happy. To put it another way, there are a lot of screenshots in our database labeled “Aaron Rodgers upset”. He gets upset a lot and, to be honest, usually not without reason.
Seven weeks into the season, this offense remains very much a work in progress. There are some positive signs, like the run game over the past few weeks. Rodgers is playing as well as I’m sure the Steelers hoped. His decades of experience don’t hurt. After all, he is tied for the NFL lead in touchdown passes. In recent years, the Steelers have gone entire seasons with fewer. And to a man, everyone in that locker room will have a story about his leadership.
