It certainly wasn’t a day where the defense dominated, as through three quarters this unit had no sacks, no putbacks, 1 hit on quarterback Daniel Jones, and 4 passes defended on 25 attempts. And this is the same Daniel Jones who entered Sunday’s game with 7 turnovers (4 interceptions and 3 lost fumbles).
During the game, the Colts ran 69 offensive plays – 49 of which started in the Steelers’ half – and they possessed the ball for 32 minutes, including just over 25 minutes in the first 3 quarters.
The special teams didn’t really stand out either. Yes, Cam Johnston had another impressive performance combining distance and placement on his 3 punts to finish with an average of 52 yards, one being a good catch, one going out of bounds at the Colts 4 yard line and the other downed by Brandin Echols. And Chris Boswell went a perfect 2 of 2 on FGs (48 and 54 yards) and 4 PATs, while also delivering a few touchbacks on kickoffs after the Colts posted returns of 54 and 36 yards.
But it also indicates tense moments due to leaks in kick coverage, and the Steelers couldn’t generate anything via their return game.
By mid-October in the NFL, when a home team allows this to happen to a slight underdog, they very often send paying customers heading to the exits disappointed and looking for someone to blame for a loss.
But another fact of NFL life is that the game is now one in which a quarterback can erase many of those imperfections. Clear at least enough to win, and victory is the reason the home team opens the building in the first place.
The Steelers played the role of the home team on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium, with the Colts being plucky and stubborn visitors looking to steal one before leaving town before dark.
Aaron Rodgers was the Steelers’ rubber. He was ready. Master the game clock and be aware of the different situations relating to it. He read the Colts’ post-snap coverage and held on to pass the ball to Jaylen Warren for what turned into an 80-yard touchdown.
“So I just threw it to Jaylen,” Rodgers said. “The moment I throw it, I feel like something is about to destroy me. And it’s fun to watch him go down the sideline. You think, oh, this is going to be a big play. Now it’s 20 (yards), now it’s 30, now it’s 40. Oh, he could score? Oh, that’s cool. Yeah, I didn’t really have to do anything other than shoot. I definitely threw a few. Those (1-yard passes), although I did make one shot on that play, so I feel like I kind of deserved it a little bit. Maybe not 80 yards and a touchdown.
When the game started, the wide receivers the Steelers had in uniform were DK Metcalf, Roman Wilson, Germie Bernard, Ben Skowronek, Brandon Smith, and Kaden Wetjen, who is listed as a WR but has played 0 offensive snaps in 4 games. Then, before the Steelers ran an offensive play in the second half, Wilson and Skowronek had been ruled out of the game due to injuries.
So coach Mike McCarthy is doing the right thing by playing more 1-RB, 2TE football, and Rodgers has seamlessly incorporated the adjustments by keeping an eye on Metcalf whenever the Colts let CB Sauce Gardner play 1-on-1, which was almost never the case, and instead turned to TE Pat Freiermuth.
With 6:40 left and the Steelers protecting a 24-22 lead, Rodgers responded to a third-and-6 from the Colts 17-yard line with a perfectly timed and placed throw to Freiermuth who had made a quick move to create just enough separation to make it the play that turned the lead into a much more comfortable 31-22.
“Pat’s a phenomenal player. You know, those are touchdowns to give,” Rodgers said. “They play a duo shape, so they’re kind of doubling DK (on the weak side), and the linebacker has their back, and someone has to win in one-on-one situations, and we haven’t done that as much as we would have liked this season.
“I love the game. I love the call and I love the course. When you go back and watch it, which I will tonight, be pretty happy with the course. (My job is) don’t miss the wide open guy in front of you, and Pat does the rest.”
Rodgers was also helping a defense that struggled in the starting plays department through three quarters while hunching his back every time the Colts drove toward the end zone gate. The defense forced field goals on second-half possessions where the Colts managed a first-and-goal at the 3-yard line, then a first-and-goal at the 10-yard line.
Indianapolis continued to whiff, but the Steelers pass rush eventually warmed up to the task with a sack and generally generated more traffic around Jones. By the end of the game, Jones had attempted 44 passes and Steelers defenders finished with 11 passes defended.
It’s a team game, and when the Steelers wake up in the morning, it’s comforting to know that they all had a positive impact in the victory that allowed them to go 3-2 instead of 2-3. But the sum of it all doesn’t add up to a victory without top-quality, NFL-caliber quarterback play.
There was one point in the first half – until 9:22 remained to be precise – where Jonathan Taylor and Aaron Rodgers both rushed for the same number of yards. Certainly the defense deserves credit for containing one of the best backs in the league, but Rodgers deserves credit for being willing and able to use his 42-year-old wheels to further the cause.
Again, it was a team effort, with a notable example being the times the pass protection gave the quarterback time to see it and throw it.
“I think our O-line is coming together well,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I like their temperament, their personality. You’re starting to see it more and more every week. Every time we talk about the O-line, the importance of having five starters playing together every day is a huge factor in the unit’s success. So we’ve had three weeks of that now. We just have to keep working, but I thought those guys played really well today.”
Yes, and what Rodgers showed the Steelers is that he still has the ability to take advantage of strong protection and precise route running to provide the level of quarterback play that wins games.
“The way I think the passing game should go is discipline through shot clocks,” McCarthy said. “So I thought our clocks were better today. I thought Aaron did a great job of staying on time. I thought his presence in the pocket was great. His ability to move with his feet and make plays out of the pocket was exactly what we needed. I didn’t really move him much in the passing game, so I thought he did a really good job in the A and B gaps, breakouts and things like that.”
Aaron Rodgers did more than just play quarterback on Sunday. He was the quarterback, and the fallout from everything he did or allowed helped the Steelers get the win they needed.
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