Aaron Rodgers looked 42 years old when the Pittsburgh Steelers took the field against the New England Patriots. From start to finish, Rodgers looked uncomfortable in the pocket.
He avoided taking a hit and did not show much desire to use his feet to gain some extra yardage.
And that’s why Rodgers stayed under duress the entire time. It resulted in 4 sacks and two turnovers, including one interception. The Steelers only scored 3 total points.
On Monday’s episode of The Herd, host Colin Cowherd focused on how much influence Rodgers appeared to have over the offense. He pointed to the limited pre-snap motion and questioned whether Mike McCarthy‘s scheme was fully utilized.
The veteran FOX Sports analyst drew parallels between Rodgers’ predecessor Brett Favre‘s twilight NFL years and the last few years of Rodgers’ career. Favre had become a bit of a journeyman, playing for the Jets and the Vikings before retiring in 2010. Rodgers has also trod a similar path, playing for the Jets and now the Steelers.
Cowherd called this the ‘Green Bay quarterback syndrome.’ Favre had a Hall of Fame career with the Packers, delivering a Super Bowl. Rodgers won a ring and four MVPs before bidding goodbye to the NFC giants in 2023. But both struggled/have struggled toward the end of their careers.
The older Rodgers gets, he and Favre are the same guy. They’re both prickly and difficult… Favre got really old really fast with the Vikings and Aaron looked his age yesterday… They’re both prickly and difficult, legends in Green Bay, all-time arm talent, leave and go to the Jets; eventually, for both Favre and Rodgers, that’s a disaster.
Colin Cowherd said
While Cowherd placed the on Rodgers for the Week 2 defeat, the underlying factors tell a different story. Rodgers had to release the ball earlier than usual because the guys in front of him had difficulty stopping the Patriots’ pass rush.
The Steelers racked up a measly 235 yards; Rodgers had 187. Right tackle in particular is the Steelers’ weakest spot, and McCarthy must make the necessary change before the next game. Dylan Cook showed heart by switching from left to right tackle in the offseason and looked comfortable in practice. But effort and heart don’t win games; results matter. Until a team dominates in the trenches, the quarterback can’t play his natural game. More so for an aging, immobile quarterback like Aaron Rodgers.
But that doesn’t imply that McCarthy has to drop Cook from the O-line. It’s better to switch him back to left tackle and let rookie first-round pick Max Iheanachor play snaps. Sure, it’s a big gamble, and McCarthy rarely trusts a rookie over a veteran, but it’s a gamble worth taking.
Cook is not the only O-lineman who needs to get his act together. Troy Fautanu struggled defending the Patriots’ run game. PFF graded him a measly 58. Two-time Super Bowl champion and former Steelers O-lineman Chris Hoke wasn’t happy with Fautanu’s performance.
I don’t think Dylan Cook played as bad as people are saying. Yeah, he had the one blitz, looked awful, where he slid out and Spencer Anderson came out, I’m not sure what happened but at the end of the day I just don’t think he is the big problem. I think Fautanu is a bigger problem right now than Dylan Cook. He’s the one that gave up more sacks, more hits on the quarterback in my initial look.
Hoke said as per Steelers Depot
Another name who needs to sort out his issues is wide receiver DK Metcalf. The Pro Bowl wideout who signed a big extension after moving from Seattle to Pittsburgh has been at the center of several dropped catches. He had two on Sunday. Former Steeler Le’Veon Bell didn’t mince words about Metcalf’s dropping easy catches.
The Steelers have a multitude of problems that require attention. It starts with Aaron Rodgers, but it doesn’t end with him. Others need to chip in to make his final season memorable. So far, it has not, considering pass rusher TJ Watt has the same number of touchdowns (one) as the offense after two games.