Steelers rookies give Aaron Rodgers a lifeline when Pittsburgh needed it most originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have MVP-winning quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the helm. They also have a new head coach in Mike McCarthy, and the two have won a Super Bowl together. But that doesn't mean it's going to be an easy season for the Steelers, and that's a lesson learned in Week 6.
The Steelers almost fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but the team's rookies wouldn't let that happen, and they walked away with a 26-19 victory. Yes, it's the rookies who bailed this team out, and that says a lot about the young talent on this squad.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' rookies step up to save the day as Aaron Rodgers and the offense struggle
In a feature published about the NFL's Week 6 games, Nick Shook of the NFL's official website notes that Rodgers was having difficulties during the game, and it's the rookies who helped see him through. He notes that in the first three quarters, the Steelers and Rodgers were having a hard time offensively.
Rodgers "couldn't sustain drives for Pittsburgh's offense, the Steelers fell behind by two scores and went away from leaning on Jaylen Warren on the ground, and a new animated interaction between Rodgers and coach Mike McCarthy surfaced amid the struggles," he adds.
So, other players stepped in. "It began with a well-paced touchdown drive that featured rookie Germie Bernard and ended in the end zone early in the fourth quarter," he adds, "then built speed when rookie Daylen Everette snagged his first career interception, and reached a full sprint when former Buccaneer Jamel Dean picked off Jalon Daniels and nearly returned it for a touchdown."
The Steelers' defense also stood the test, showing that this is a really well-rounded team. So, they head into another week with a win in the column.