The Pittsburgh Steelers came into Baltimore looking like a struggling team and came out on top. After losing five of seven and missing out on the AFC North, they came out as underdogs and dealt a blow to the Ravens, blowing a two-point lead and winning 27-22 to reclaim the lead at 7-6.
Mike Tomlin said the difference was in mindset, insisting his team woke up with “an offensive posture” and finally played with the sharpness and finish that had been lacking in recent weeks.
He then got candid about why you should trade a 42-year-old quarterback in the first place. “You’re going to be dealing with Aaron Rodgers on days like Sunday,” Tomlin said, per NBC Sports.
He acknowledged the week was full of noise about his job security and Rodgers’ broken left wrist, but said it was exactly the kind of “emotional” moment you want from someone who has been there, who has been there before, under center.
Rodgers repaid that faith, ending a long drought without a true deep completion with a 52-yard pass to DK Metcalf on the first offensive play, followed by crucial catches by Calvin Austin and a catch-and-run by Jaylen Warren that gave him a season-high 284 yards on 23-of-34 passing.
Tomlin called it the benefit of having “a guy like AR” when everything is at stake. The win put Pittsburgh ahead of Baltimore in the title race and, at least for a week, put to rest any speculation about whether Rodgers would be able to continue leading the offense through December.
For his part, Rodgers took credit for the win, saying it was their “sharper” week of prep all year and highlighting the impact veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen had in practice, noting that their professionalism raised the bar for everyone.
With four games left and the standings still in flux, Tomlin’s revelation about Rodgers is a real challenge: if you’re doing business with him on days like this, you better keep giving him a chance to close the deal.
