Big-time plays through the air and four touchdown passes Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets has optimism very high for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense with Aaron Rodgers under center moving forward.
All offseason questions surrounded Pittsburgh with Rodgers. How would the quarterback co-exist with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith? Would the offensive line hold up? Could the running game take some pressure off Rodgers? What about the receiver room behind DK Metcalf?
Some of those questions were answered in a big way Sunday, while others remain open. But one thing is clear: the Steelers put up 34 points in Rodgers’ debut, and he carried the team on a day in which the defense couldn’t get stops consistently. That has the Steelers riding high.
But for ESPN’s Dan Graziano, it’s an “overreaction” to believe the offense was truly great on Sunday, one capable of winning a playoff game. Appearing on SportsCenter Tuesday morning, Graziano preached caution.
“This offense was outgained by 120 yards against the Jets. They got gift after gift,” Graziano said of the Steelers, according to video via ESPN. “The Jets committed seven penalties, committed the game’s only turnover at a pivotal time, and the Steelers still needed a 60-yard field goal to win the game. If that field goal doesn’t go in, which is entirely possible because it was, again, 60 yards long, are we having the same conversation about how good Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers’ offense looked?
“Rodgers was sacked four times. When they keep him clean, he looks fine, but if they can’t keep him clean, they have potential disaster on their hands on every play.”
If Boswell’s field goal doesn’t go through and the Steelers lose that game, yes, we are still talking about how good the offense looked. Rodgers for threw four touchdowns in his Black and Gold debut. He tied Tom Brady for the most four-plus passing touchdowns and zero interception games in NFL history with 28.
Even if Boswell misses at the end, the Steelers still score 31 points on the road, and all of the talk would have centered on how bad the defense was, period.
Graziano should know this. But he’s been anti-Rodgers all offseason, one of the most vocal members of ESPN to do so. He even doubled down on it in his article Monday discussing overreactions, too.
“Be encouraged that this Steelers offense might be more consistently productive and exciting than in 2024, but don’t be sold. And don’t gloss over the fact that the defense, which is supposed to be the constant in Pittsburgh, couldn’t stop [Justin] Fields and the Jets,” Graziano writes. “Rodgers hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2020 season, and he’ll be 42 when this year’s playoffs start. Great game, great start, but it will take a lot more for me to be convinced that the Steelers can reverse their recent trend of playoff fizzle-outs.”
Sure, it will take more to be convinced that this Steelers offense can win a playoff game, one that will likely be on the road, too. But Sunday’s performance against the Jets, after having not played at all in the preseason, was very encouraging.
The offensive line needs to be much, much better in pass protection, and the Steelers need to run the ball a whole heck of a lot better. But it was a strong performance and has many buzzing.
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