Will Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers have a big game against his former team? He seems to be adamant that the game is not a big deal. Here are the three biggest keys for Rodgers to stick it to the Packers in the Week 8 revenge game.
Wait. Did we say “revenge game?” But Rodgers says it’s not, according to a post on X by Brooke Pryor.
“Aaron Rodgers says he doesn’t view Sunday against the Packers as a “revenge game.” “There’s no animosity toward the organization. Obviously, I wish things had been better in our last year there.” Rodgers said he saw the “writing on the wall” when the org drafted Jordan Love.”
It's simply a fun game. At least it sounds like that's how Rodgers wants it to be portrayed.
“This is not a revenge game for me,” Rodgers said. “I have a lot of great memories from my time there. The interactions with fans over the years. I spent 18 years there, from 21 to 39. Obviously, would have liked to ride off into the sunset with a Super Bowl win, but that's not the way the league goes sometimes.”
QB Aaron Rodgers will need to protect the ball
Rodgers has thrown two interceptions in a game twice this season. That includes his two picks against the Bengals in the upset loss on last week’s Thursday Night Football.
Rodgers can’t afford those turnovers this week. Throw out the Dallas game, and here are the point totals the Packers have allowed this year: 13, 18, 13, 18, and 23. In other words, the Steelers won’t get a ton of opportunities to score.
Plus, the Steelers haven’t been great on offense this year. They rank No. 25 in yards per game, even though they stand in a tie for No. 11 in points per game with 25.
Add all of this together, and the Steelers have to make good use of their possessions.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he doesn’t see any problems with the way Rodgers is playing these days, according to packerswire.com.
“He looks like he can still do anything,” LaFleur said. “What's surprising, for such an old man, he's still moving around pretty good, too. You've seen it in multiple games.
“The arm strength is still plenty there. You see it, especially on the Hail Mary. I don't know many guys that can throw the ball 70 yards in the air. It's still pretty impressive what he can do. He can throw with pinpoint accuracy…this guy is extremely accurate. If you give him just a sliver of light, he can fit the ball in there.”
Steelers offensive line must protect Rodgers
Rodgers has been sacked nine times this season. However, seven of those came in the first two games. Over the last four weeks, the Steelers’ offensive line has built an iron curtain around him.
And there’s no doubt that the Packers will emphasize getting to Rodgers this week.
“The best way to beat a quarterback is to get him on his back,” LaFleur said. “Like I tell our guys all the time, it's hard to throw when you're on your back. Our pass rush is going to have to be on point, and we'll have to do some things in terms of our coverages. And sometimes you have to hit in terms of what they're calling versus what you're calling. And hopefully he has to hold the ball a little bit longer than he'd like, and you can win a matchup up front.”
Steelers' defense will need to stay solid
The Steelers can’t get into a shootout. That means their defense must be on point throughout the game.
LaFleur certainly respects the Steelers on that side of the ball, according to acmepackingcompany.com.
“You can definitely see there’s some similarities between two years ago,” LaFleur said. “I think they’ve upgraded some of the talent. They still got the front, which is phenomenal. It’s one of the best in football, but they’ve upgraded in some areas. I think they’ve gotten much more aggressive with their scheme. A lot more man coverage than we saw a few years ago.
“So, it’ll be interesting to see how they try to attack us. They’re very competitive, and they’ve really feasted on sacks and takeaways. You see it in every game. There’s a lot of carnage in the backfield, and they do a great job of getting the ball out, whether it’s through interceptions or forcing fumbles. Their style of play is as good as it gets in this league.”
