PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – This time the Steelers had Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.
For all of the failures over the last half-decade, the Steelers again had a Hall of Famer under center in, while not technically a playoff game, a game they had to win or be eliminated from the post-season. Rodgers led the Steelers to a 26-24 win Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium.
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With the season on the line, Rodgers went 16-22 for 196 yards and a touchdown and did so without the leading receiver and impactful tight end Sunday night against the Ravens.
Steelers had five possessions in the second half, four times they scored, three of those touchdowns.
“This was the vision in the spring when we pursued him,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “That’s why you do business with a 41, 42-year-old guy, been-there, done-that guy with a resume like his. He’s not only capable, he thrives in it. I think he put that on display tonight.”
You kept hearing post-game about him being calm and collected and his ability to communication in those situations.
“That’s what you want,” Rodgers said. “You want the ball in your hands with 2:20 left and you get a touchdown. That’s exactly what you want. I was calm all day long with the gravity of the game and knowing what was in store for us.”
“But I was confident that I was going to play a good game and that I could kind of be the magnetic force out there to keep guys confident and calm. We’re going to go down and score, and don’t worry about it, boys.”
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“It’s cool when you see the ball in the hands of 8 (Rodgers) there,” said Steelers captain TJ Watt. “He’s here for a reason. This is why he’s here. This is the best dude in the NFL for this moment. To see him deliver on a big stage was unbelievable.”
Watt described it was a weird no-panic feeling. After so many different quarterbacks since Ben Roethlisberger, he saw a QB that was just calm and sure of what he was doing. It gave Watt complete confidence in his team and the offense.
“That’s part of it being the old guy, having a lot of gray in your beard,” Rodgers said. “They expect things from you, and it’s nice to be able to deliver in moments like that.”
Rodgers said after the game he told Steelers President Art Rooney, Assistant GM Andy Weidl and General Manager Omar Khan he was thankful to be a part of this team.
“Just the way I bonded with the guys and the way they have put their arms around me and allowed me to be myself and listen to me and let me lead and inspire me the way they have,” Rodgers said. “It’s a good group of guys.”
That group believes in their quarterback. Let’s see how far that takes them.