The Pittsburgh Steelers opened the season with a 20-13 victory over the visiting Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, but Aaron Rodgers believes there was plenty of early-season rust to overcome — from his own receiving corps to the NFL officiating crew.
‘I think we did a lot of good things out there,’ Rodgers, 42, told sideline reporter Pam Oliver after the win. ‘We had a chance to be really, really explosive. We had a couple drops, a couple off targets, a couple non-calls, looked like penalties.’
And the Steelers quarterback had more to say about the officiating.
‘We had a 40-yard [uncalled pass interference penalty against Falcons star cornerback A.J. Terrell],’ Rodgers continued. ‘It could have been a touchdown.
‘We had a couple other ones — could have been big plays. So, you know, we were just a little bit off. But they got a good scheme.’
Rodgers launched his 22nd — and final — NFL season with 221 passing yards and a touchdown to tight end Pat Freiermuth. However, Pittsburgh’s offense was slowed by a pair of DK Metcalf drops and a ground game that offered little relief for the veteran quarterback.
Rodgers began his 22nd and final season by throwing for 221 yards and a touchdown to tight end Pat Freiermuth but was hampered by a couple of drops by DK Metcalf
Still, the Steelers showed encouraging signs, especially during the closing moments of the fourth quarter. Taking possession deep in their own territory, Rodgers delivered three completions on the game-sealing drive — finding Metcalf, Michael Pittman and Darnell Washington once apiece — while Pittsburgh ran out the final 4:16.
‘Being able to end the game on our terms, with Aaron on the ball, taking a knee, you know you can’t take that for granted,’ Freiermuth said.
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The star of the game may have been Steelers edge rusher TJ Watt, who scored an improbable touchdown after picking off backup Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush for the decisive fourth-quarter score as Pittsburgh made Mike McCarthy’s debut coaching his hometown team a success.
‘That’s what he does,’ longtime teammate Alex Highsmith said. ‘He’s the best in the world.’
Even if Watt didn’t play like it at times last season, when the four-time All-Pro finished with 7 sacks — tied for the second-fewest of his career — and missed several games late following a freak dry needling injury.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) signals during Sunday’s opener
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush (13) and Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy talk after the Pittsburgh native won his first regular-season game with his hometown team
Watt already put a dent in that total in the opener, chasing down Rush twice as part of a defensive effort that sacked the late replacement for Tua Tagovailoa four times, swatted away six passes and never let him get comfortable.
That discomfort was never more noticeable on Watt’s second career touchdown, when he anticipated a dump off to Robinson and snatched the ball out of midair just after Rush released it. The next few seconds were chaos, as Watt scrambled downfield, briefly lost his footing and popped back up before he was touched.
‘I had no bearing at all,’ Watt said. ‘I’m sure the fall didn’t look too graceful but glad someone told me to get up and keep running.’
The ball eventually ended up in the hands of McCarthy, who grew up a few miles from downtown Pittsburgh and is well aware of the expectations that come with the job. The first of what he hopes are many victorious afternoons didn’t go particularly smoothly, especially for the offense that he was hired specifically to fine tune.
Not that it mattered when Rodgers handed him the game ball, which McCarthy called a ‘special moment’ as they started a reunion from their time in Green Bay that included a Super Bowl win. There’s also a part of him that’s ready to get all the firsts out of the way so he can lean into the rhythm of the season.
‘It’s time to move on and get team victories from here on,’ McCarthy said. ‘I’m not one for attention. So the homecoming has been great. Just glad to get this one under our belt.’
The Steelers played without cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who missed most of training camp with a back issue. He did practice during the week, though McCarthy said Porter’s absence was due to his health and not contract talks that broke down without Porter signing an extension.