When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal in June, it was to have him under center in moments like Sunday night. The Steelers were playing a division rival in primetime with a playoff berth on the line, needing a fourth-quarter rally to save their season.
Fortunately, they had one of the best quarterbacks ever in Rodgers. With Pittsburgh’s season hanging in the balance, he stepped up in the fourth quarter, leading the Steelers to a stunning 26-24 comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens and their first AFC North title since 2020.
After a shaky first half, Rodgers was at the top of his game in the fourth quarter. He completed 11 of his 14 pass attempts for 133 yards and a touchdown, throwing the game-winning score to Calvin Austin III with just under a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.
Needing a touchdown on Pittsburgh’s final possession, Rodgers delivered, leading the Steelers on a 65-yard scoring drive in 80 seconds of game time. He completed four of his six passes for 65 yards on that drive, hitting a wide-open Austin for the game-winning score.
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Rodgers has historically thrived in the cold and under pressure, and he was up to the task on Sunday night. Coming off one of his worst games of the season against the Cleveland Browns, the 42-year-old still bounced back, just like he predicted.
Even more impressively, Rodgers did it without his top receiver, DK Metcalf, who was serving the second game of his suspension. He also managed to get the best of Lamar Jackson for the second time this season.
The former Super Bowl champ will try to continue his heroics and lead Pittsburgh to it first playoff win in nine years against the Houston Texans on Monday.
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Featured image via Barry Reeger/Imagn Images