PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers were victorious in their Week 7 contest over the New Orleans Saints, defeating their NFC South opponent by a final score of 16-10. The Steelers return home with a 5-2 record and plenty of work to do before they meet the Cleveland Browns in Week 8.
The Steelers mustered a single touchdown in the win, but the offense showed signs of life. A 51-yard bomb from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to wide receiver DK Metcalf was the deep ball the offense has been trying to connect on for the past year and a half. Running back Jaylen Warren ran all over the Saints defense, putting up 137 total yards.
That pass to Metcalf carried more significance than helping the Steelers put points on the board. When the wideout hauled in that deep pass from Rodgers, it was the 95th time that the 42-year-old QB has thrown a completion of 50 yards or more. With that completion, he became the NFL's new all-time leader in that statistic.
What This Means for Steelers Offense
What Rodgers and the Steelers care about the most is the explosive play he and Metcalf combined for. As nice as it is to have the recognition of being the first all-time on a list like 50+ yard completions, Rodgers is likely smiling about the breakthrough that the offense finally had.
The big knock on the Steelers, even throughout this current winning streak, is their offense lacks splash. And that is predominantly true, as Rodgers has found a way to succeed with the dink-and-dunk approach.
But on that deep pass to Metcalf, Rodgers used the bait of playing around the line of scrimmage to open up a shot downfield for his top receiver.
And hopefully, that pass unlocked something. Aside from Metcalf, the Steelers have rookie Germie Bernard trying to show his elusiveness in open space. Third-year pass-catcher Roman Wilson is currently on the Injured Reserve, but when he returns, the Steelers might have even more use for his speed on the outside.
That 51-yard pass to Metcalf was a record-setting one for Rodgers, but more importantly, it was a tone-setting pass for the offense in a crucial victory.
Another Feather in Rodgers' Hall of Fame Cap
Aaron Rodgers is bound for the Hall of Fame. The Super Bowl winner and four-time MVP has put together one of the most illustrious careers of any NFL quarterback.
It's not like Rodgers needed another achievement to earn his place in Canton, Ohio, but this is yet another feather in the cap of the 42-year-old. He can add it to the long list of accolades to celebrate when he is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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