The Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions 27-13 to capture the first win of the season. Before that game kicked off, the Pittsburgh Steelers, led by Aaron Rodgers, beat the New York Jets 34-32.
In that outing, Rodgers went 22-of-30 for 244 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and zero interceptions. To the eye, these are great numbers, but there's a lot of context that needs to be added, and it only gives the Packers more confidence before their Week 8 contest.
Packers Shouldn’t Be Worried About Aaron Rodgers' Steelers Debut
A lot of Rodgers' production came from defensive breakdowns and missed tackles in the open field. Cornerback Brandon Stephens was the biggest culprit, allowing five catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns. There were several instances throughout the game where Stephens had no idea what he was doing out there, letting guys run free.
Tony Adams was also attacked in the passing game, giving up three catches (three targets) for 56 yards. Adams was seen taking a terrible angle, allowing Metcalf to stomp down the sideline for a 23-yard gain in the first quarter. Something that continued throughout the game. On X, Steve Palazzolo pointed out that Pittsburgh's scheme and YAC played a big role in why Rodgers put up these types of numbers.
Rodgers even threw two passes that should have been picked off. In the fourth quarter, with six minutes left, he was pressured a threw up a pass that should have been intercepted by Stephens and would have put the Jets in a prime position to come away with the win. New York held a 32-31 lead at the time.
Instead, he dropped the ball. And late in the fourth quarter, Rodgers put the Steelers in position to score, as Chris Boswell hit a 60-yard field goal to give Pittsburgh the lead.
Rodgers has played more than enough football to pick apart busted coverages. That's exactly what he did in Week 1. Arthur Smith also crafted a good game plan that put Rodgers in favorable situations.
With some tape out on what the Steelers had success with, the Packers will be better equipped to be prepared for that matchup. With better tackling and a lack of miscommunication in the backend, no WRs would be breaking free for Rodgers to loft the ball to.
Even PFF gave Rodgers a 54.5 overall grade for his Week 1 performance. His stat line looked really good, but a lot of it had to do with New York's mishaps. So Green Bay shouldn't be overly concerned after just one stout performance from their former quarterback.