Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers is happy to get the win. He isn’t particularly happy with the field he did it on Sunday. Even on a day without rain, snow, or any other adverse weather common for the city (tornado followed by blizzard? only in Pittsburgh), Acrisure Stadium wasn’t at its best today. And Rodgers knew it. As did those impacted by its conditions.
“It got real beat up,” Rodgers said of the field after the Steelers’ 23-9 win over the Cleveland Browns via the team website. “By the time the third quarter rolled around, that thing was really beat up. So I feel bad about what happened to Miles [Killebrew]. I’m not sure if there was any carry there.”
Killebrew suffered a serious right knee injury that may cost him the rest of the season. It’s hard to know if that was related to the field or not and turf fields like Giants Stadium have been criticized for the frequency of severe knee injuries. One moment when the field clearly impacted the outcome of a play came on K Chris Boswell’s 54-yard second half miss. Boswell caught a divot with his plant leg slipping, causing his attempt to be well short (though accurate).
“Thankfully Boz took care of those kicks before the field got borderline unplayable,” Rodgers said.
Boswell made a trio of first half field goals, including one that snuck in from 50 yards out, to give Pittsburgh a 9-3 halftime lead.
During the broadcast, CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn noted the grounds crew was scheduled to replace the sod after today’s game. Though the Steelers have played just two games at Acrisure, one “home” game took place in Ireland, the Pitt Panthers have played four games there this season. Though the Panthers were on the road Saturday, the field is in desperate need of a facelift.
Rodgers is no stranger to difficult field conditions.
“It reminds me a little bit of the field in Green Bay in the early years,” he said. “But not until November or early December where it’d get kind of torn up a little bit. Then they went out, they found an incredible field maintenance guy that comes over and helps our guys out. The field in Green Bay is absolutely immaculate, but the field today got pretty torn up.”
Of course, this wasn’t a winter game. This took place in mid-October with six more home regular-season games to go. And based on current trajectories, the Steelers will host a playoff game, too. New sod will do wonders but Pittsburgh may want to figure out a plan so the field doesn’t get this bad in the first place. While that can play into the Steelers’ hands as classic AFC North ball, it’s also hurting Pittsburgh’s own players. Figuratively and possibly literally. No one wants that. Certainly not Aaron Rodgers.
