Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the new Steelers have Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin feeling good about their big gamble after Week 1
They are the reason it happened.
The Pittsburgh Steelers went an entirely different direction this offseason. Going heavy in roster construction via free agency and trades, the Steelers brought in big-time names like DK Metcalf, Aaron Rodgers, Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey, and Jonnu Smith.
Given how much all of these pieces cost and their relative age in football years, it was, and still is, a big gamble from the Steelers’ front office. A lot of players who have been labeled “has-beens” or past their prime, it was up to these newly named Steelers to come up big when it mattered most, and that’s exactly what they did.
‘New’ Steelers lead Pittsburgh to victory over the New York Jets
Let’s get something clear off the jump. The defense, particularly against the run, was atrocious. All of the talk about never having another Baltimore Ravens playoff game proved to be just lip service, and a close win against the New York Jets doesn’t leave a lot to write home about. But now is not the time or place for that.
What has to be noted is that Rodgers threw four touchdowns, while completing 22-of-30 passes for almost 250 yards. One of those four TDs was caught by Smith. Rodgers’ most targeted WR? That was Metcalf, who caught four balls for 83 yards. The player who ended the game by forcing an incompletion? That was Ramsey. What do all of these players have in common? They made their debut in the black and gold on Sunday.
“I’m excited about the new Steelers, whether they’re new to the league or new to us. And we got a lot of plays from a lot of new Steelers today,” said Mike Tomlin after the game. “They’re earning their place in Steelers lore their efforts. And we talked about a little bit about that last night. I don’t care [by] what means you get here, man. You play one play for this organization – you’re a Steeler. And so a lot of guys etched their names into that legacy with their efforts in play.”
Chris Boswell is ultimately the reason for the win, given that his 60-yarder gave them the two-point lead to complete the comeback, but it took a group effort to get the Steelers back in the race, and that largely came from the new faces on the team.
