Heading into the home stretch that is the 2025 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ year is about to be defined. A big game Sunday against the Buffalo Bills and even bigger one in Week 14 facing the Baltimore Ravens for the first time this season. Whether or not QB Aaron Rodgers plays this weekend still hasn’t been determined, but his message to the team is the same. Focus.
“This is a time where the focus maybe needs to go up a little bit more,” he told reporters via 93.7 The Fan Wednesday. “The serious approach needs to tighten up a little more.”
A different word choice than his famous “Relax” several seasons ago. Pittsburgh has struggled over the last six weeks, going just 2-4 after a 4-1 start. The Steelers have been incredibly inconsistent, beating AFC contenders like New England and Indianapolis while being upset by Cincinnati and taken down by the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Both sides of the ball have been equally hot-and-cold.
Rodgers joined Pittsburgh for its stability and culture. A team that seemingly doesn’t ride the wave of the season and group that had plenty of youth, especially on offense, to learn and grow. But with playoff hopes hanging in the balance, Rodgers thinks the attitude should shift.
“I love what a loose team we are,” he said. “Sometimes you gotta crank that thing up one percent and be a little bit more locked in.”
Rodgers missed Week 12 with a fracture in his left wrist. He did not practice Wednesday but hopes to take the field tomorrow to take needed steps to feel comfortable and be cleared to play. He indicated to reporters he doesn’t yet feel comfortable taking snaps under center. Something he’s done exactly one-third of the time this season.
While coaches are absorbing plenty of blame for schematic problems, Rodgers says players must step up instead.
“It’s really on the players,” Rodgers told reporters. “Monday to Saturday is when you win a lot of these football games. Just dial in on the plan and being able to fix things when they happen.”
Rodgers or not, the Steelers are in dire need of a win against the Bills. If the Baltimore Ravens beat the Cincinnati Bengals tomorrow night and Pittsburgh falls to Buffalo Sunday afternoon, the Ravens could take complete control of the division with a Week 14 win. That prospect should have the team feeling tighter and locked in on winning the weekend to prevent a collapse similar to a season ago.
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