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The Steelers are enjoying their bye week, but don’t think Mike Tomlin’s squad is kicking back and relaxing. They’re already preparing for a Week 6 showdown with the Cleveland Browns and their ferocious defense. Leading that unit is Myles Garrett, the former Defensive Player of the Year who’s constantly battling Steelers star T.J. Watt for AFC North supremacy.
Sitting at 3-1 and leading the division, Pittsburgh’s looking pretty comfortable right now. That lead might even grow while they’re resting up – Cincinnati’s struggling without Joe Burrow, and Baltimore might be missing Lamar Jackson this weekend. Talk about perfect timing for a bye!
Aaron Rodgers has been a mixed bag through four games. The raw numbers look solid – he’s completing nearly 70% of his passes with 8 TDs against just 3 picks. But dig deeper, and things get interesting.
Pro Football Focus has Rodgers ranked dead last among NFL quarterbacks through four weeks.
The Numbers Behind Rodgers’ Performance
Here’s where it gets complicated – PFF is knocking Rodgers for exactly what the Steelers signed him to do. Behind an inconsistent O-line, the 41-year-old veteran is making lightning-quick decisions. He’s got the NFL’s fastest time to throw (2.52 seconds) and the shortest average target depth (5.2 yards).
Those stats could spell trouble against press coverage defenses, but let’s be real – is Rodgers really the worst QB in football? In a division currently starting Jake Browning, Cooper Rush, and Joe Flacco/Dillon Gabriel, that claim feels a bit ridiculous.
Even Colin Cowherd (yeah, I’m surprised too) got this one right: “Not to be obnoxious to PFF, but I’m gonna go with no. He’s not the worst,” Cowherd said on his show. “He may win the division because currently, in the AFC North, the starters are Jake Browning, Dillon Gabriel, and Cooper Rush.”
While PFF suggests many of Rodgers’ decisions are pre-determined before the snap, I’d argue he’s being forced into quick throws because he simply doesn’t have time to go through progressions. That actually makes his production more impressive, considering the circumstances.
Can Rodgers Handle Garrett’s Pass Rush?
Rodgers’ best game came against Minnesota in Dublin, where his time to throw dropped to a blazing 2.17 seconds per NextGen Stats. That quick release showed he’s getting more comfortable in Arthur Smith’s system – and it’s exactly what he’ll need against Cleveland’s pass rush.
Myles Garrett typically gets to quarterbacks in 2-3 seconds – among the NFL’s best rates. The Steelers can’t completely neutralize a force like Garrett. They can only hope to contain him.
Last week, Pittsburgh finally started moving DK Metcalf around formations more frequently. His biggest play – that touchdown in Dublin – actually came from the slot position. That kind of creativity will be crucial against the Browns.
Those fractions of a second between Rodgers releasing the ball and Garrett reaching the quarterback will determine this matchup. It’s a chess match Pittsburgh has two weeks to prepare for.
The ground game could be their secret weapon. Kenneth Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson provided a spark against Minnesota, and Jaylen Warren might return soon. A balanced attack would take some pressure off Rodgers against Cleveland’s defensive front.
The difference between two and three seconds might seem negligible in real life. But against Myles Garrett? It’s everything.
