PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Third down conversions to finding Pat Freiermuth and some exceptional praise for the potential of Max Iheanachor. Some of Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers thoughts after his weekly media gathering on Wednesday.
3rd down
Steelers are 5 for 25 on third down and as you look at the issues scoring points, you can’t keep a drive going without those conversions.
“You’ve got to be a multifaceted team that [has] plays [that] work against zone and man, then you got to convert,” Rodgers explained. “We've had a lot of opportunities to convert and haven’t executed.
Asked about other variables.
“That's an execution [thing].”
O-line
Rodgers was hit hard a few times and sacked four Sunday in New England. With some miscommunication and struggles at time on the offensive line, Rodgers said he’s not concerned about their confidence. He did note a good start to Bengals week.
“I'm not worried about their confidence,” Rodgers said. “To be a great team, you got to practice great, and so I just focus on how we're practicing the communication during the week, and the protection meetings and the walkthroughs. We had a good start today.”
Rodgers said the way to corrected mental errors or missed assignments, it’s preparation.
Mad talk about Mad Max
A possibility first-round pick Max Iheanachor makes his first NFL start on Sunday. Rodgers had some big things to say about the rookie.
“I like Max a lot,” Rodgers said. “I think he's got a real bright future. He's very — in one sense he's raw because he hasn't played football that long. The other sense, he's got a beautiful set and you don't say that about every tackle.”
“There's nice sets, and then there's beautiful sets.”
“I had two of the prettiest sets of all time at left tackle for me, in Chad Clifton and David Bakhtiari. There's just something about the way those guys set that created very little lanes for a pass rusher, and I think when he hones his skills, Max is going to have a chance to be a longtime staple on the offensive line here.”
Freiermuth impact
After a season where at times he was forgotten, Pat Freiermuth is the Steelers leading receiver with 9 catches for 78 yards and the only offensive touchdown.
“I think we got to get him involved as much as possible,” Rodgers said. “I mean, he's been super reliable. He's catching the ball well. He's a fantastic player and a great guy in the locker room, great guy on the huddle, and we got to keep finding ways to get in more targets.”
How about more Darnell Washington with Freiermuth? The 6’8” tight end has only three catches.
“A lot of that's based on the down-to-distance stuff,” Rodgers said. “You know, and our inability to convert on third down has kept him off the field. So if we can do a better job on third down and converting first and second down as well, we'll get more opportunities for both those guys.”
First-year Steelers receiver Michael Pittman, Junior was able to go through a limited practice on Wednesday after missing the game on Sunday.
“Mike does all the little things, you know, with the blocking and the Z receiver,” Rodgers said. “We ask him to insert and lead up on safeties and do all that little stuff. And Mike's really good at that. You know, Mike's a veteran route runner. Obviously, he made three plays in the game, first game. So we're hoping that he can get back this week because he can definitely help us.”
No moral victories
While there may have been something to build on, Rodgers doesn’t want to hear about moral victories, or nearly accomplishing the goal.
“I hate the whole, ‘we’re close’, or this or that,” Rodgers said. “I think the execution comes down to guys going out and doing their job and communicating. That was our first test on the road with a team that was in the Super Bowl. We had a lot of opportunities. A lot of times it was just 10 guys doing it right and one guy not doing it right. It was a lot to go around. I had my plays, but everybody had their plays, so we got to shore that up.”
Why veteran believes in the rookie offensive tackle
Why veteran believes in the rookie offensive tackle
