Sunday night’s game is a final exam for the Aaron Rodgers experiment in Pittsburgh.
It’s pass/fail. No shades of gray.
Rodgers was signed in the unspoken spirit of “all in,” to win now for the Steelers’ 30-something crew of Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, etc.
The Steelers had the AFC North all but clinched with a home playoff game looming and all the optimism that accompanies.
But then the Steelers lost at 4-12 Cleveland, with Rodgers missing a lot of throws and spamming the last three to a wide receiver who was on the practice squad three weeks ago.
Rodgers has added ample guile. But maybe that’s all. Perhaps it’s been too often misapplied.
Rodgers’ arm is a fraction of what it was, understandable at 42.
He throws too much. Like at Cleveland when the run game averaged 5.5 yards per carry and the Steelers never trailed by more than one score after early in the second quarter, yet Rodgers passed 39 times — with DK Metcalf suspended — and the Steelers rushed just 24 times.
Rodgers’ genius for changing plays at the line is often noted. But he very usually ends up passing.
Maybe that’s an offensive coordinator thing. It seems a quarterback thing.
Rodgers’ passing yards and touchdowns are his lowest for any season he’s been a full-time starter and injury hasn’t intervened.
Rodgers has adjusted the offense to his liking but not necessarily for the greater good, most notably anointing marginal wideouts Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Scotty Miller as “castoffs,” then trying to make the storyline work. Tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith are on the pay-no-mind list.
Rodgers has had some awful games, like losses to Cleveland, the Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo and Seattle, often looking cranky or disinterested in those defeats.
It’s just not gone that great for Rodgers this season. We’ve frequently overrated. Me, too.
Rodgers has been meh. He’s grandpa game-manager.
It feels like the Steelers have wasted another season with a fossil at quarterback. Not moving forward.
Except Russell Wilson made the playoffs last season. Despite being criticized much more than Rodgers now. (That’s because everybody is scared of Rodgers. Mike Tomlin, too.)
Sunday night is pass/fail.
It makes no sense to bring Rodgers back next season no matter what happens next. You can flip Rodgers over. He’s done on this side.
Which means the Steelers probably will.
No team besides the Steelers wanted Rodgers this past offseason. It will be the same in the coming offseason. His performance certainly would not impress a contender, and he’s too old.
