Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will look to exploit Packers’ offseason gamble in effort to attain huge win for his legacy
There is a clear target for Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, and DK Metcalf will be there to help him.
Aaron Rodgers is likely pinching himself this week. Rodgers will take on the Green Bay Packers, the team he spent nearly two decades with and won a Super Bowl for. The Pittsburgh Steelers will be unveiling new uniforms and they will have the home field advantage in one of the biggest games of Rodgers’ career.
In order to make sure he can retire one day and say he beat the Packers, it will take a big time showing, as the Packers offense will be out for blood against a reeling Steelers defense.
So to prepare for the matchup, I spoke with Wendell Ferreira of A to Z Sports Green Bay, and he named the top spot that Rodgers can expose.
How good has Micah Parsons been?
“He’s probably been more than the Packers could have realistically hoped. Parsons has a monster impact play in and play out, beating his competition on basically every snap. When he doesn’t generate sacks or pressures, he’s absorbing the attention of the offense, which has created big opportunities for Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Devonte Wyatt, and the entire defensive front. It’s not a coincidence that all these players are having career years. But more than that, Parsons is also a positive presence in the locker room due to his accountability and leadership. He truly has transformative power.” – Ferreira
The Steelers better have two dedicated bodies at minimum, every time Parsons is on the field. He’s that good, and he will wreck the game if the Steelers don’t help Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu.
What’s up with the Packers’ secondary?
“The defense has been pretty decent for the most part, with stretches of great play earlier in the season. However, it’s clear that cornerback play is a big issue — which shouldn’t surprise anyone who followed the Packers in the offseason. They had just one big bet at the position, and it has backfired with free agent addition Nate Hobbs playing poorly so far. Keisean Nixon has been good, but he’s probably not what you would want as a CB1.”
“And Hobbs is playing out of position, because he’s a slot and the Packers thought he could play boundary as well. The Packers’ plan is to generate quick pressure to protect the corners, because safeties Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams are excellent. But when teams are able to throw quickly, it’s been easy to exploit the soft coverages used to protect individual weaknesses.” – Ferreira
Well, it just so happens that the Steelers with Rodgers rank sixth fastest in the NFL in terms of time to throw. Rodgers lives off quick game, before targeting Metcalf downfield on big shots. That’s where exposing Hobbs and even Nixon comes into play.
What should the Steelers defense expect from the Packers offense?
“Under Matt LaFleur, the Packers will always be a balanced offense. The head coach doesn’t have a run-first approach, but he does bring a run-centric philosophy, and that’s why the Packers signed Josh Jacobs last year. Jacobs has the power to generate yards beyond what the offensive line gives him, and the play action passing offense has been extremely efficient. If Christian Watson returns, the offense could get another dimension down the field as well.” – Ferreira.
Simply put, the Steelers better buckle their chinstraps, especially after last week.
Pittsburgh Steelers News
Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan suddenly has 3 clear wide receiver targets ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline
With the trade deadline just two weeks away, Omar Khan and the Steelers can start making some calls.
