It wasn’t fairly, however there are not any type factors in soccer.
All that issues is what the scoreboard says on the finish of the sport, and on Sunday it confirmed the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the New York Jets 34-32, at MetLife Stadium to maneuver to 1-0 on the season.
On a day through which the Steelers couldn’t do a lot of something proper defensively, 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers was the whole lot the Steelers hoped he can be. He threw 4 landing passes and led a game-winning drive within the fourth quarter to defeat his outdated crew, dragging the Steelers to a season-opening win in thrilling style.
There’s loads of issues to wash up popping out of this one, and there are some accidents to be involved about — specifically DeShon Elliott’s knee. However a win is a win, and the Steelers are on the correct facet of the win-loss column getting into Week 2.
Let’s get to some grades.
QB — A-
After all of the questions this offseason about what Aaron Rodgers had left within the tank, he answered them emphatically. For one week, at the least.
Rodgers accomplished 22-of-30 passes for 244 yards and 4 touchdowns, discovering Ben Skowronek, Jonnu Smith, Jaylen Warren and Calvin Austin III for scores. He later drove the Steelers into area aim place, establishing Chris Boswell’s game-winner from 60 yards.
A number of Rodgers’ work was across the line of scrimmage, getting the ball out shortly and permitting guys to catch and run and make performs. However when he did push the ball down the sphere he made some performs, like his throw to Austin for a rating, one other throw to Austin establishing Warren’s landing, and even his strike down the sphere late within the sport to Austin drawing a go interference penalty, placing the Steelers in area aim vary shortly.
He was good with the soccer, threw with accuracy, and received the Steelers into the correct appears time and time once more, main to 1 heck of a efficiency by the Steelers’ offense.
RB — C+
The Steelers didn’t run the soccer all that properly Sunday, producing simply 53 yards on 20 carries. However they had been in a position to run the soccer when it mattered within the second half, producing some offense as the road received going with Jaylen Warren within the backfield.
Warren completed with 11 carries for 37 yards, however his greatest work got here as a receiver. He completed with two catches for 22 yards and a landing, hauling in a rating on a simple pitch-and-catch from 5 yards out on an important design by Arthur Smith. He additionally had an enormous 17-yard catch-and-run to maneuver the chains at one level within the sport, giving the Steelers a little bit of a spark.
Kenneth Gainwell out-snapped Warren on the afternoon 29-25, however he didn’t do a lot with the in depth enjoying time. Gainwell completed with seven carries for 19 yards and had three receptions for 4 yards. He fumbled as soon as, too, however was lucky sufficient to get better it.
He additionally allowed a sack to Quincy Williams within the fourth quarter, struggling to choose up a blitz lengthy sufficient for Rodgers to get the ball out.
WR — B
A pleasant Steelers debut for DK Metcalf. He stated he wasn’t fearful in regards to the offense earlier within the week regardless of no preseason motion, and his play backed that up. Metcalf hauled in 4 passes for 83 yards and was excellent after the catch, ripping off catch-and-runs of 23 and 31 yards.
He did have a drop on his first goal of the sport, however he made one heck of a catch late within the sport on a double deflection that discovered its approach into his palms, placing the Steelers in Boswell’s area aim vary.
Calvin Austin III is the clear-cut WR2 on the roster and has nice chemistry with Rodgers. Austin hauled in 4 passes for 70 yards and a landing and drew an enormous go interference penalty late within the fourth quarter to place the Steelers close to midfield. He ought to have had a second one on the Steelers’ remaining offensive play however didn’t get the second flag.
Ben Skowronek was extensive open on his 22-yard landing and took benefit of the enjoying time offensively, whereas Roman Wilson and Scotty Miller didn’t see a goal.
TE — B+
A pleasant efficiency from the tight finish room that Rodgers talked up all offseason.
Pat Freiermuth had three receptions for 28 yards, benefiting from area in the course of the sphere and coming by means of with huge catches. He additionally had an important block on Jonnu Smith’s landing, burying Jets security Andre Cisco on the perimeter. His blocking seemed a bit higher right now, which is encouraging.
Smith had 5 receptions for simply 15 yards, however he discovered the tip zone at the least. There simply wasn’t a lot work down the sphere for him. A number of work within the fast display screen sport to provide him a possibility to make performs after the catch. Hopefully subsequent week the Steelers let him run routes farther down the sphere and attempt to discover him extra within the passing sport.
OL — D-
There have been just a few stretches within the sport, significantly within the second half, the place the Steelers ran the soccer at an honest clip. However they only weren’t in a position to persistently create motion on the level of assault Sunday and actually struggled to have a balanced assault as a result of run sport.
A complete of 53 yards on 20 carries simply isn’t going to chop it.
Move safety was a bit worse, too, particularly from Broderick Jones.
Rodgers was sacked 4 occasions and the Jets had been credited with seven quarterback hits. Jones was a catastrophe in go safety. Nevertheless it was his first begin since his rookie season at LT, and he went towards a pair of excellent go rushers in Will McDonald IV and Jermaine Johnson. He has a lot to wash up.
I must see Isaac Seumalo be the participant the Steelers anticipate him to be, primarily within the run sport. He simply didn’t create any motion up entrance and seemed lackluster. It was regarding. Nevertheless it’s early.
DL — D+
Permitting 182 dashing yards on 39 carries, good for 4.7 yards per carry, simply merely received’t lower it for the Steelers. After all of the work they did this offseason to beef up the defensive position and higher defend the run, they received gashed from begin to end Sunday.
Fortuitously, they had been in a position to get a win because the Jets grew to become a pass-first crew late in catch-up mode. However the Steelers had no reply for the Jets’ run sport.
Cameron Heyward actually struggled within the season opener. Although he had three tackles, one sort out for loss and batted one go that was almost intercepted by Keeanu Benton, he wasn’t his ordinary self towards the run. He wasn’t in a position to get off blocks all that shortly and actually didn’t have a solution for the Jets’ run sport.
Neither did Benton, who was pushed round all through the sport. For all of the discuss altering his physique this offseason to higher swimsuit nostril sort out, he actually struggled. The dropped interception actually harm, too.
Isaiahh Loudermilk is a high quality backup defensive lineman, however when he has to play numerous snaps he’s a significant legal responsibility. He was pushed round and didn’t create a lot of something. Daniel Ekuale was a little bit of a disappointment in his first sport as a Steeler, and Yahya Black wasn’t all that impactful after a dominant preseason.
He ought to have had a sack within the second half, however simply couldn’t end.
Hopefully this group is approach higher subsequent week.
LB — C+
T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith had been actually good on this one. Watt completed with 5 tackles, two tackles for loss and knocked down one go on the line of scrimmage. He was good towards the run all sport too and even blew up Justin Fields on one read-option after he gave the ball to Breece Corridor.
Highsmith had a sack and completed with eight tackles and three quarterback hits. Whereas the Jets had loads of success operating to Highsmith’s facet of the protection, I assumed he performed very well and was constant as a go rusher, too.
Jack Sawyer was the backup OLB on the afternoon with Nick Herbig inactive, and held his personal in restricted snaps. He had one sort out, however he was additionally in on the play Fields snuck one in for a rating.
Inside, Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson racked up some tackles, however they sluggish to get off blocks and weren’t as efficient towards the run as you’d hope with how athletic these two are. Getting off of blocks has all the time been a problem for these two, so once they can’t slip or run round blocks, it may very well be all lengthy day, prefer it was Sunday.
Queen did have an enormous play late within the sport on a third-down blitz, attending to Fields to power an incompletion, establishing the fourth-down play that the Steelers received the sport on.
DB — B-
I cherished the play Jalen Ramsey made to win the sport. It was the precise kind of play the Steelers introduced him in for. He’s a bodily participant, and he dished out a clear, punishing hit to separate Garrett Wilson from the ball, profitable the sport for the Steelers. He had three tackles, broke up two passes and had one quarterback hit within the win, which sparked a sideline melee with Heyward and Jets guard John Simpson.
However that QB hit despatched a message and sparked the Steelers in some methods.
Dropping DeShon Elliott early within the sport (MetLife turf strikes once more) was an enormous blow, however Chuck Clark stepped up and tied for the crew lead in tackles with eight. He additionally had a key sort out for loss on Fields, forcing a punt within the fourth quarter.
Juan Thornhill had eight tackles, too, so it’s discouraging seeing each safeties tie for the crew lead in tackles. However he was sound. He did miss one play making an attempt to interrupt up a go that led to an enormous achieve for the Jets, however you’d relatively say whoa than sic ’em, like Mike Tomlin likes to say.
Joey Porter Jr.’s hamstring damage won’t be a lot of a priority, however his play Sunday was only a bit. He had only one sort out and gave up a handful of completions when the Jets focused Garrett Wilson.
Darius Slay was an actual drawback. He had a nasty missed sort out within the backfield early within the sport that turned what ought to have be a 4-yard loss right into a 3-yard achieve for Corridor after which was cooked on an over route by Wilson for a 33-yard landing. Later, he didn’t stick to Fields on the bare bootleg, resulting in a walk-in landing.
Brandin Echols had a pleasant sort out in area on Fields to arrange the 4th and aim, chopping Fields down in area with good method.
Particular Groups — B
Chris Boswell is the very best kicker within the NFL. Interval. No one else is within the dialogue.
Boswell drilled a career-best 60 yarder to provide the Steelers the lead late within the win. It could have been good from 70+. He completely crushed it. That’s what he does. He additionally nailed a 56 yarder within the win, too.
Corliss Waitman had an up-and-down efficiency punting the soccer. He averaged 47.5 yards on 4 punts on the afternoon and had one downed contained in the 20-yard line. However he had punts of 46 and 44 yards within the first and second half when the Steelers wanted huge ones.
Fortuitously on the 44-yard punt he was bailed out by a block within the again penalty for the Jets, backing New York up farther. Consistency was a problem final season and a key concern when the Steelers went with him over Cameron Johnston at punter.
Within the return sport, the Steelers actually struggled in protection. Kenneth Gainwell’s compelled fumble was large and altered the sport, however previous to that the Steelers didn’t actually have solutions in that division. The Jets averaged almost 30 yards on seven kick returns, and Xavier Gipson almost housed one early within the sport, returning it 40 yards.
That must be cleaned up.
So, too, do the penalties. Connor Heyward’s penalty was a nasty one. A totally pointless play. He’s a sensible participant and is healthier than that. The unlawful formation penalty finally labored out for the Steelers as they stopped the 2-point try to received by two factors. Nevertheless it’s elementary stuff that wants cleaned up.
The Kaleb Johnson fumble on kickoff return was a priority, too. He continues to look uncomfortable returning kicks and appears sluggish. Let Kenneth Gainwell be the first man, although it actually will depend on who groups kick it to with the brand new guidelines.
