FIRST TAKE | Stephen A: “If Rodgers is healthy, Steelers won’t just make Playoffs, they’ll go deep”
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in Pittsburgh this season. Yeah, I think he first needs to stay healthy at a player at his age, that’s a very important thing and protect himself, but it’s also to show that he still has some fourth quarter magic in him. I think the way that this Steelers team is constructed and the way, frankly, they’ve been playing the last few seasons is not a highowered offense. It’s all predicated on their defense and they make games close and that will be the difference that he can make that they haven’t had a quarterback there since Big Ben was healthy that can take over games and important moments. We don’t need him to be MVP. I know we’ve said it a bunch of times, but we’re going to need him to make four or five really difficult throws through the course of a game. And if he can show us that he can still do that, I think this team will be a force in the AFC. I want to show everybody something. For those of you who don’t speak gambling, the overunder for the Steelers win total this year at ESPN Bet Sportsbook is eight and a half. That is the most wagered prop on ESPN Bet Sportsbook right now as far as the team overs and unders. The most bet wager, if I’m stating that in such a way that everyone can understand it. Something here because I know you guys don’t gamble. There is a very very old expression called fade the public. If everyone thinks something’s getting all those big buildings they have in Vegas, they’re not there by accident. So if the whole world thinks the Steelers are going over 8 and a half, that’s usually a good sign that they aren’t. What do you think? Yeah, look, it’s it’s again similar to the stock market, right? When everyone is bullish, you need to kind of go contrary and go, hey, look, it may be time for me to sell and get out of here and and vice versa. That said, look, that said, I’m still going the over. Okay, I’m still betting the over. And you know what? I’m betting the over for the same reason everyone else is. And I’ll tell you what it is. It’s called the initials are M T, right? People believe in that guy. Mike, Mike, him too. No, Mike Tomlin. And for as many as loud as the voices are, the loud as that echo chamber can get for with those people in there who are constantly going, “But you know what? He hasn’t won a playoff game. He hasn’t gotten past the first round. They haven’t won a Super Bowl since god knows when.” Look, Mike Tomlin is the truth. And this is what people are banking on. And I believe I believe they will be a divisional playoff team this year. I think they will get to that level. I think Aaron will hit his stride. Him and Arthur will find a way to really coexist. The praction passing game will get going. And did you see the picture recently that Jaylen Ramsay posted about him? He was kind of kneeling down. He’s got the visor. He had the black tights on and the number five and the long black sleeves on that picture alone that I got. I mean, that picture alone is worth a couple games. I was like, dang, I might just put this as my thing on my my Instagram. I I I feel like we’ve said this so many times here over the last few weeks, but it does bear repeating. The Steelers are not asking Aaron Rodgers to do everything the Jets asked him to do. Maybe at this stage of his career, it was impossible for Aaron to do everything the Jets needed. Frankly, maybe for any player at any stage of their career ever, it would have been impossible what they were trying to get done for the quarterback with the Jets. And well, I guess that is insulting, but it is what it is. The point that I’m making is just what they’re going to need from him in Pittsburgh still feels like something he’s capable of doing 1000%. When I was listening to Dominique talking about what his expectations are, what he needs to see from Aaron, um evade pressure, stay healthy, and make those four or five Aaron Rodgers type magical plays. He I you’ve seen those type of throws like Garrett Wilson had the had the Aaron Jordan catch last year. You know what I mean? like it’s still in there. So, I’m I’m with Lou. I’m with Lou. I actually feel like every year I say watch for the Steelers because they win four or five games strictly off of the fact that Mike Tomlin is their coach. I think T for Aaron Rogers. This is it. This is it. There are no other teams that you could sell your services to. This is it. For TJ Watt, it’s hey, we gave him the money. This is it. We have to go. They have The Steelers are moving in a way that we have never seen before. Omar Khan said it is about a Super Bowl. Whether it works or not, we will see. But there is reason to be somewhat excited based off of what we’ve seen from them. DK Metaf, we didn’t mention the Steelers, the most stable franchise in all of American sports, are in a this is it season. Asked about Vegas’s preseason win total projection. That said, it’s eight and a half. Twood, we go over or we go under? I’m taking the over on it. I listen, we’re talking about Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers. like they sleep their way into, you know, nine 10 wins and that’s and that’s without, you know, Aaron Rogers at quarterback. Listen, I get he’s 41 and that’s a big question mark. Can he play the whole the whole slate of games? But this is the best quarterback situation the Pittsburgh Steelers have had since Big Ben has been there. And the the biggest question honestly the offensive line the offensive line if they play well and they play to their strength and protect Aaron Rogers, come on, I’m taking over. Brady, the NFL was created on September 17th, 1920. Roughly 105 years ago. In 105 years, there’s been two quarterbacks 42 or older start a playoff game. I’m going to take 105 years and take the under. So, you’re going under on Rogers, at least as far as the playoffs are concerned. Shafty, what are you hearing out of Pittsburgh? The early returns. Listen, I think they are excited. They felt like this was a position they had to solidify. This is a team, I think, that still has some questions going into the season. I know we’ve talked about Trey Hendrickson and Terry McLaren. A topic we haven’t talked about that’s not settled yet is Cam Hayward, the defensive tackle who has talked about retiring if he doesn’t get a raise and they have been unwilling to figure out that situation. So, I know we have all these situations that have percolated across the league that have begun to be solved. But Mike is out there and the topic that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention so far is Cam Hayward who hasn’t participated in team drills in practice with the Steelers getting ready to open their season against your Jets. The three of you guys. That’s correct. All three of us. They’re playing against the three of us and the rest of the Jets a week from Sunday at 1:00 Eastern. And by the way, just so you get a chance to hear it, I’ve said it a million times. No one says words better than Mike Tomlin does. He had these to say yesterday about his Yeah. You know what? You know what though? You know what? But before before you go in on that, Doggy, you’re slick though. You see with Doggy, you see how Doggy just kind of like like hit Stephen A with a stray. You said he finally got something right for once. I like that though, dog. I like how you saw your facial expression. It didn’t It didn’t work. It It didn’t work though. He cries all the time. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t work. Hello there, Louis. Good guy. Appreciate it. Louis, tell me this. How confident are you in the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers being a success? Look, I I think this I think this pairing works. I thought months ago that it works. And I said I used the phrase I said Aaron needs Pittsburgh. He needs a team that is just going to go go, “Hey, look, come in here and play quarterback. Don’t come in here and try and be GM. Don’t come and try and pick the offensive coordinator. Don’t try and bring any of your buddies over from the Packers or the Jet.” Don’t do any of that. Just play quarterback. Just get yourself right ingratiate yourself with the rest of the roster and play quarterback like you can play quarterback like a four-time MVP. You may not be able to play at that level, but bring that mentality because that’s what they needed. They needed to level up. And you know what? Pittsburgh needed him. They needed him. A guy who can from a cerebral standpoint get this offense in optimum positions to really take advantage of the looks that maybe he’s getting on the opposite side of the ball. A guy who can throw the football all three quadrants of the field. Short, intermediate, deep, outside the numbers, between the numbers, outside the numbers. a guy who can then who can help other players on the football team like Mercurial wide receivers that when he’s just locked in playing quarterback, he can help them raise their game and say, “Hey, look, this is how I’m going to deliver the football to you. This is what I need you to do, and I’ll tell you what, and we’re all going to benefit.” That’s the kind of thing Pittsburgh needed. That’s the kind of thing Pittsburgh didn’t have. The problem is it just took so long for him to actually have boots on the ground and be in there. I don’t care if they knew he was coming all along. He’s missed a lot of time. He’s missed a lot of time being around these dudes. We’ll see how much time he can make up cuz there is some precedent. You know, Mike T was talking about Brett Foot and Sheper were talking about Brett Favre signed with Minnesota in August and wound up taking all the way to an NC title game. I don’t think they’re going to do that, but I like the signing. I’ve always liked the signing. I think it works. I’m with you 100%. And I don’t worry about the timeline there. Lewis, he’s 42 years of age. He knows the football by week one at New York against the Jets. He’ll be ready to play. So, I’m not that red. It’s June 10th. June 11th. I’m okay with that. You, you’re the expert on that, but I to me he’s going to be he got the whole training camp. He’ll be fine. Here’s the bottom line about the Steelers. They went 10 and seven last year. They were in first place until the last fivegame losing streak. He’s better than Russell Wilson. So, if they went 10 and seven last year and he’s better than Russell Wilson, now the division’s going to be better because obviously Cincinnati is going to be a little more consistent and get off to a better start, but he’s got a good chance to win 11 12 games. I still believe in him. He finished the season well for the I seemed a success when you said yes. I I I think for Pittsburgh, if I had to say a success, how about winning a playoff game? The Steelers collectively must understand that the standard that is the standard has not been met. Now, we all respect and and and and some of us love and a lot of us rever Mike Tomlin, who’s never had a losing season in his 18-year career. Um, phenomenal motivator, knows his football. Um, nononsense kind of guy, best sound, one of the best sound bites in the NFL week to week. I mean, he’s just that dude and and we rever him.
