Aaron Rodgers played like he has a new lease on football in Pittsburgh, while the defense continued to force turnovers and sacks in its win over the Vikings in Dublin.
- DUBLIN, IRELAND – SEPTEMBER 28: Aaron Rodgers of Pittsburgh Steelers (#8) makes a pass during the NFL 2025 game between Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park on September 28, 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
DK Metcalf was running wild on an 80-yard touchdown. Aaron Rodgers was following in the distance, arms raised and index fingers pointing celebratorily at Mike Tomlin.
It was a far cry from a year ago when Rodgers, then a member of the Jets, pushed coach Robert Saleh away after a touchdown in a nationally televised 24–3 win over the Patriots. This was unabashed joy en route to a 24–21 win over the Vikings in the NFL’s first foray into Ireland.
Perhaps it’s a man with a new lease on football life. Maybe it’s the knowledge that something could be brewing in Pittsburgh.
In their win over Minnesota, a few trends continued for the Steelers. They forced two more turnovers after collecting eight over the first three weeks, second only to the Jaguars. They swallowed up Carson Wentz with six sacks and 14 quarterback hits. Entering Week 4, Pittsburgh ranked 10th and fourth in those categories (and is trending up after having five sacks and five turnovers last week against the Patriots).
Offensively, the style employed against Brian Flores’s pressure-happy scheme was both smart and repeatable. Rodgers was getting the ball out quickly, hitting only one pass that went for more than 10 yards. However, Pittsburgh was consistently moving the ball, posting 19 first downs on 5.9 yards per play after failing to crack 5.0 yet this season.
All told, Rodgers was efficient, going 18-of-22 for 200 yards and 9.1 yards per attempt. He avoided negative plays and was sacked only twice. The Steelers entered Sunday ranked 31st in rushing yards (189) and yards per carry (2.8), but were better with 131 such yards on 4.5 YPC. With usual starter Jaylen Warren inactive, Kenneth Gainwell was the bell cow, rushing for 99 yards and two touchdowns after being limited to 55 yards on 16 carries before facing the Vikings.
At 3–1, the Steelers haven’t been a juggernaut. Until Sunday, they were one of only five teams to not register 300 yards in a game. The others were the Dolphins, Texans, Titans and Cardinals, who entered Week 3 a combined 2–11. Pittsburgh had been outgained by 289 yards despite playing games against Justin Fields and Drake Maye, who was making his 15th NFL start.
In Dublin, Pittsburgh showed the formula for being a factor in the wide-open AFC.
While the Bills, Colts and Chargers are 3–0, nobody feels unassailable. Buffalo needed a miracle to beat the Ravens in Week 1 and then flirted with disaster last Thursday in a home game against the winless Dolphins. A leverage penalty saved Indianapolis as time expired in Week 2, hosting the Broncos, while facing questions about whether Daniel Jones can keep his renaissance going. Los Angeles has Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh to pair with last year’s stingiest defense, but Herbert has never won a playoff game.
Then there are the Chiefs and Ravens. Both are 1–2, and they play each other on Sunday afternoon in the late window at Arrowhead Stadium. Both will probably find their way to the postseason short of major injuries, but the Steelers have to be rooting for Kansas City. If the Chiefs hold serve at home, Baltimore will be 1–3 and two games back of Pittsburgh in the AFC North. The other preseason contender in the AFC North, the Bengals, have already lost Joe Burrow and gotten blown out by these same Vikings.
Nobody would argue that the Steelers are the favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Realistically, Pittsburgh is still an unknown, a team that could be either a fringe playoff team or a true contender depending on whether the offense can start generating a few more big plays while maintaining the efficiency seen in Europe.
Metcalf ran with Rodgers, celebrating in pursuit, knowing what’s possible in Pittsburgh.
