The big story coming out of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 34-32 win over the New York Jets last Sunday was how 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked in his Black and Gold debut, throwing four touchdown passes and leading the offense to an explosive performance.
But lost in all the media attention that centered on Rodgers was the impressive contributions from running back Kenneth Gainwell and wide receiver Ben Skowronek, who stood out on both offense and special teams.
Their performances weren’t lost on teammates though, especially long snapper Christian Kuntz.
“KG, Kenny Gainwell, man. He won us the game,” Kuntz said Thursday on the latest episode of his podcast, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “He won us the game with his forced fumble. Skowronek is always around the football, dude. Like, I don’t even know how to explain it. He’s just always around the football. Kenny Gainwell playing running back, forcing a fumble. That dude is a football player.”
Both had big contributions offensively, with Skowronek scoring the Steelers’ first touchdown of the season on a 22-yard pass from Rodgers, and Gainwell playing a position-high 29 snaps at running back.
But it was their contributions on special teams that helped put the Steelers over the top Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Skowronek had one tackle on special teams, sticking kick returner Xavier Gipson in the middle of the field. He also was an outstanding gunner, doing a lot of the hidden dirty work for the Steelers. Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora highlighted Skowronek’s contributions in a film room earlier in the week.
As for Gainwell, his forced fumble on Gipson in the fourth quarter was the turning point. It led directly to Rodgers’ fourth touchdown pass of the game and gave the Steelers 14 points in 15 seconds. Talk about a huge momentum swing.
Ultimately the Steelers went on to win, and Gainwell earned praised from teammates and coaches after the game. For Kuntz, having those two players on the roster makes for a good football team.
“Those guys add value to teams. And it’s cool to see a guy that’s playing so much on offense — Kenny G played a lot on offense — making special teams plays,” he said. “That’s what makes good football teams, to be honest, I’m happy that he’s on our team.”
The Steelers are a better team for having guys like Gainwell and Skowronek around. They’re willing to do whatever is asked of them, whether that’s on offense or special teams, and they’re impactful in their respective roles.
Check out the full episode of The Christian Kuntz Podcast below.
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