Mark Twain once said, “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.” 

It  has been 17 years since the Pittsburgh Steelers won a Super Bowl.

It has been 15 years since the Pittsburgh Steelers appeared in a Super Bowl.

It has been 9 years since the Pittsburgh Steelers won a playoff game.

Mike Tomlin is 8-12 in playoff games.

The Steelers have been outscored 230-148 since their last playoff victory. That is an average score of 38.3-24.6.

Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been to the Super Bowl in 15 years.

Aaron Rodgers is only 11-10 in the playoffs, many years playing in a team that was a top two seed.

Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been to the playoffs in 4 years.

Aaron Rodgers hasn’t played on a team with a winning record in 4 years.

Aaron Rodgers will be 42 years old before the Steelers play their thirteenth game.

Those are the facts. Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin, and many in the media have told us how successful the Mike Tomlin era is. As for Rodgers, we’ve been told by the same media that he is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

Is that the distortion Twain referenced in his quote?

Here is another quote, perfect for the Mike Tomlin led Steelers, from General George Patton.

“The time to take counsel of your fears is before you make an important battle decision. That's the time to listen to every fear you can imagine! When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead!”

In Tomlin terms, “Don’t live in your fears.”

If you are a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, those facts listed above are frightening. Why is it, then, that I am slowly coming around to joining the growing crowd that thinks this one year marriage between the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers just might turn out better than originally expected? Maybe, for once, I am not going to live in my fears. 

Ayahuasca smoke show anyone?

This upcoming season gives me the strangest feeling. I didn’t hide the fact that I wanted nothing to do with Aaron Rodgers in a Steelers uniform. Then I watched his documentary. That made me view Rodgers differently. I still hate his politics and how he spouts conspiracy theories as fact on his bro Pat McAfee’s show. And get the vaccine, don’t get the vaccine, Aaron. I don’t care. Just play football. But the documentary allowed me to see Rodgers is just a complex person with a brain that doesn’t ever shut off. That is where the ayahuasca comes in. Anyway, the guy is super unique and can toss the ‘ol pigskin better than most 41 year olds.

I have always said I can listen to Rodgers talk football all day long. Hard Knocks covered the Jets during Rodgers first season in New York. He stole the show. He clearly studies the game, studies the history of the game, and helps teammates become better players.

Rodgers will be good for the other players on the team, particularly on offense.

This is obviously a one and done situation. It has been clear for some time that the Steelers will try to find their next franchise quarterback in next year’s draft held in Pittsburgh. They have financial flexibility and the draft capital to trade up if necessary. If this season goes better than I originally suspected, trading up may very well be necessary.

So, strange. That’s the feeling as we all ready for a week one trip to the Big Apple.

Aaron Rodgers will be the most professional quarterback this team has played with since Ben Roethlisberger retired. He will not only know the offense, but he will be smart enough to audible when it is actually called for. He will also have the confidence to challenge Arthur Smith when necessary. And it will be necessary.

Mason Rudolph has already proven to be a quality backup, and a quarterback that can be trusted to win games. That will be important because the idea of a 41 year old playing the season unscathed is far fetched. Rudolph could very well play a vital role in this season.

Let’s not forget the Steelers won 10 games with a combination of Justin Fields and Russell Wilson at the helm. Fields will make Jets fans yearn for Zach Wilson, while Russell Wilson may end up unemployed by the time you read this. The duo of Rodgers and Rudolph looks like the second coming of Bradshaw and Ben compared with that pair.

The Steelers have a star wide receiver who won’t act like a petulant child with bats in the belfry. DK Metcalf is a stud, but will he get any help from the other wide receivers? Calvin Austin has proven to be reliable even if he isn’t spectacular. The guy who may make this unit good rather than average is Roman Wilson. Wilson is an unknown after missing his rookie year with an injury. Wilson has been a pleasant surprise in the preseason. If that can translate to the regular season the  then the Steelers will be fine. Plus, Rodgers can make guys like Wilson and Scotty Miller better.

The tight end position is stacked. Pat Friermuth will have to play well to get the bulk of the work. The addition of Jonnu Smith is a real pick me up for this position group. Smith is coming off his best years and will add another reliable receiver to the mix. Darnell Washington is going to be very important both as a blocker and moreso this year as a receiver. Rodgers already stated how much he loves Washington, which bodes well for more usage of Washington in the passing game. He is a red zone dream.

The running back room shouldn’t miss a beat without Najee Harris. Jaylen Warren, rookie Kaleb Johnson, and Kenneth Gainwell should make big contributions to this offense.

The big question on offense is the offensive line. In particular, the two tackles must prove themselves. Broderick Jones has the talent and a nasty disposition, and Jones will be moving to his preferred left side. He will be expected to take a giant leap forward. Troy Fautanu missed almost all of his rookie season with an injury. He is an unknown but comes with high expectations. Center Zach Frazier is a burgeoning star.

The other side of the ball needs to be better. The Steelers spend more money on defense than any team in the league. This unit can’t just be ordinary.

Up front the Steelers took a minor hit, as rookie DL Derrick Harmon will miss at least a couple games with a sprained MCL. The emergence of rookie Yahya Black during camp should offset the Harmon injury. Cam Heyward wanted more money and will try to prove why again this year as the leader of this position group. 

The linebackers should be the defense’s best unit. Patrick Queen and Peyton Wilson are sideline to sideline players who make a ton of plays. The rush OLB’s are stars with something to prove. TJ Watt needs to prove he can perform over the entire season after fading down the stretch last year. Alex Highsmith needs to stay healthy for a full season. The depth at linebacker is also a plus.

The back end of the defense should improve with the additions of veteran corners Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay. It sounds like Ramsey is going to lineup all over the field. He is aging, but playing for Mike Tomlin may inject some juice in Ramsey. Those two join lockdown corner Joey Porter, Jr. Porter has been extremely solid, and should benefit from playing with these two veterans. As strange as it sounds, the safety position may be better without Minkah Fitzpatrick. Deshaun Elliott was clearly their best safety a year ago.

The biggest weapon the Steelers may have is placekicker Chris Boswell. Boswell is like a machine, rarely missing a kick. Preferably, we see less of Boswell kicking field goals and more of him kicking extra points.

Mike Tomlin is at a crossroads. He isn’t dumb. He realizes the playoff drought is unacceptable. Tomlin also knows finding a franchise quarterback is necessary in taking the Steelers back to the level that is expected. You know, the standard. Rodgers isn’t the franchise quarterback, but Tomlin didn’t want to just throw this year away.

I have often said the best thing the Steelers could do is tank the season so they can get a high draft pick in a quarterback heavy draft. That isn’t in Tomlin’s DNA, as evidenced by his non-losing record streak. Rodgers was the best option to make the most of what could have been a transition year.

I wish Arthur Smith wasn’t calling the plays. I wish Teryl Austin was calling the shots on defense. Alas, it is a typical Tomlin coaching staff. 

The players love Tomlin, and that shouldn’t be swept under the carpet. It may explain how Tomlin has often taken mediocre teams and squeezed 9 or 10 wins out of them.

The 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers have a chance to be better than mediocre, especially if Rodgers finds the Fountain of Youth quenching.

Looking at the schedule, 11-6 doesn’t seem out of the question. That would be good for at least a wildcard berth. Then the question becomes, can Mike Tomlin figure out how to win a playoff game?

I thought this year would be a transition year where, perhaps, tanking would be the best course of action. The Steelers brass does not think that is a good idea. Aaron Rodgers does not think that is a good idea. Most importantly, Mike Tomlin does not think that is a good idea. Tomlin isn’t stupid. He hears the noise, whether he admits it or not. He is sick of the lack of playoff success. That is why he led the charge to bring in Aaron Rodgers. He wasn’t willing to have a throw away year. Next year will come next year. The draft happens in April. Now is not the time to blink.

This is as much a gut feeling as anything else, but I think the Steelers will have a solid season. Aaron Rodgers could get hurt early, like he did two seasons ago with the Jets. Then the season could go like I originally expected when the Rodgers talk started. Along those same lines, Lamar Jackson always exposes himself to extra hits and Joe Burrow has a line that should get arrested for lack of protection. My point is injuries are hard to predict.

All things being equal, I think the Steelers will be in the hunt in the AFC North. If Steelers fans get lucky, they will get an ayahuasca smoke show.

Tweet of the Week

I’m not going to lie. I like a guy that is a bit of a nut. With that, I give you Tyler Phillips in the Tweet of the Week.

 

The Weekly Shiny Penny

Words to live by from a really good guy. Oh, and now a PGA winner and FedEx Cup champion.

 


A Penny For My Final Thought…

The college football season got under way last Saturday in Ireland. Not Ireland, Indiana, or Ireland, West Virginia. Ireland. The country.

Idiotic.

Kansas State lost to Iowa State, and in doing so may have already put their playoff chances in grave jeopardy. After flying half way across the world, the two teams played the game in front of fans who knew nothing about them, on a field that was so bad you couldn’t see the hash marks or yard lines, and in a typically steady rain.

I don’t know what Kansas State got in return for giving up a home game, but it wasn’t enough to offset a tough loss. At home, that close loss could have easily had a different outcome.

I continue to be baffled by the fascination sports —all sports— have at playing regular season games overseas. The NFL plays games in Europe, Mexico, and even Brazil. This year the Steelers play in Ireland, a connection to the late Dan Rooney. College football used to play the Japan Bowl and recently started playing games in Europe. Baseballs beginning the season in Japan, the NHL in Sweden, Japan, and China, and the NBA has played 37 games in other countries.

I don’t get it.

I understand wanting to expand the popularity of your sport, but why not just play exhibition games in other countries. It is competitively disadvantageous to have to play these games. Sure the fans yell and holler, but for what? They aren’t super familiar with the teams. It is simply a special event to attend, drink some beers, and hoot and holler. In turn, you are cheating your own fans of a home game.

I typically blame money for such decisions, but there are billions of dollars flowing in these sports. Heck, even college players are making money now. And despite innuendo to the contrary from the NFL, you aren’t moving or starting a franchise in another country.

Hopefully Kansas State players had a good learning experience in Ireland. Otherwise, the Wildcats got a loss that puts them behind the eight ball for the remainder of the season, had a key injury potentially caused by field conditions, and had the added joy of bad publicity when the father and brother of the star quarterback brawled in a parking lot after the game.

 


Whether it is money, global popularity, or some other reason, sports should stop the sham of playing games in other countries. It does nothing for your season, and can actually do damage. The whole concept is silly and needs to stop.

Just my two cents…