Creaking, smug and still winning: Rodgers chases one more Super Bowl shot
The 42-year-old quarterback remains a divisive figure off the field, but a 16-10 win over the Saints in Paris has the Steelers thinking big as his career winds down.
Aaron Rodgers is not part of this season's MVP conversation, but the Pittsburgh Steelers' 16-10 win over the Saints in Paris showed why he might still finish his career with a Super Bowl, according to Guardian NFL.
The win pushed Pittsburgh to 5-2, though Rodgers himself was unimpressed with the offensive showing. "I don't think we played very good on offense today," he told reporter Molly McGrath after the game.
The Steelers stalled repeatedly in the red zone, managing only one touchdown from four trips there, and 16 points against a team with two wins is hardly a statement performance. Even so, Rodgers delivered when it mattered, including a 51-yard throw to DK Metcalf in the second quarter and a scramble for a first down on third-and-six to help close out the win.
It was Pittsburgh's defense that dominated the afternoon, smothering Saints quarterback Tyler Shough and shutting down the run game as linebacker Patrick Queen had predicted beforehand. The unit allowed 4.5 yards per carry across the opening four weeks of the season but has cut that to 2.8 yards per carry over the last three games, and has conceded just three touchdowns in its last 15 quarters of football.
Rodgers' own numbers through seven games - 13 touchdowns and five interceptions for 1,699 yards - compare closely to Sam Darnold's output over the same stretch last year, when Darnold went on to win the Super Bowl with Seattle, having thrown 12 touchdowns, four interceptions and 1,754 yards.
Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss offered his own read on what Rodgers brings at this stage of his career, comparing him to a point guard. "Even though he's up there in age, I think that's an advantage to him, his mind," Elliss said after the game.
Away from the field, Rodgers' approach to his own farewell has drawn criticism. Charles Barkley, during an October 21 appearance on Adam Schein's Mad Dog Sports Radio program, took issue with Rodgers discussing former romantic partners as he nears retirement, according to Yahoo Sports.
The conversation began with Barkley's own plans to step away from basketball broadcasting, before Schein drew a comparison with Rodgers' expected departure from football. Barkley said he intended to handle his exit differently, stating he would not "burn every bridge" on his way out.
Barkley's comments followed Rodgers' September appearance on teammate Cam Heyward's Not Just Football podcast, in which the quarterback discussed former partners Shailene Woodley and Danica Patrick, disputing previous accounts of those relationships and criticising the media attention they attracted.
On the field, at least, the Steelers' case for a title run rests on a defense that has only strengthened through October and a quarterback whose experience is still producing winning plays in big moments. Pittsburgh will look to build on its 5-2 start as the season moves deeper into its schedule.