Aaron Rodgers is no MVP candidate, but a formidable Steelers defense and a quarterback who has seen it all have Pittsburgh dreaming of a Super Bowl send-off.
Aaron Rodgers is nowhere near the MVP conversation this season, but the Pittsburgh Steelers may not need him to be. In Paris, the veteran quarterback showed again why a Super Bowl farewell isn't a far-fetched idea, as Pittsburgh ground out a 16-10 win over the New Orleans Saints.
It's been a season of two Rodgers. In his second year with the Steelers, the 42-year-old (43 soon) has flashed the form of his prime: zipping throws with zest and precision and reading coverages like he's seen them all. At other moments, he has looked like a man in his 40s playing a young man's game.
The Paris game leaned toward the first version. Rodgers connected with DK Metcalf on a 51-yard strike in the second quarter, a throw that showed his arm and timing are still very much in working order. Late on, with the game in the balance, he scrambled for a first down on third-and-six to help seal the result.
Rodgers, never one to sugarcoat, wasn't fully satisfied. "I don't think we played very good on offense today," he told reporter Molly McGrath. Still, he did what Pittsburgh needed, and that is the point. With a formidable defense behind him and a quarterback who has seen every look the league can throw at him, the Steelers have the foundation of a real contender. Rodgers remains a polarizing figure, but if this team keeps winning tight ones, the farewell tour could run deep into January and beyond.
