Aaron Rodgers Nearly Hurt in Celebratory Mishap with Steelers Lineman Broderick Jones
CINCINNATI -- The Pittsburgh Steelers had a, well, eventful game against the Cincinnati Bengals that ended in a Week 7 loss of 33-31 at Paycor Stadium. During the game, the offense had their best showing, with a complete game that included 129 rushing yards from running back Jaylen Warren and four passing touchdowns from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers was spirited throughout the football game, both in good and bad ways. Not every moment brought joy to the quarterback or his team, with Week 7 being the first time he's shown a lot of visible frustration with his teammates and the outcome of plays.
It also showed plenty of good moments, though. One of which turned into a not-so-great moment for Rodgers or his left tackle Broderick Jones, who nearly caused something much worse than a loss to their AFC North rivals.
Broderick Jones Mistake
Late in the fourth quarter, the Steelers trailed the Bengals with what looked like one more shot to take the lead. In that drive, Rodgers found tight end Pat Freiermuth for a 68-yard touchdown pass that had the entire sideline on the feet and ready to go. Including Rodgers, who celebrated as he came off the field.
Rodgers was walking over, hyping up his bench and the players around him, when Jones came rushing over, looking to hug him. Inadvertently, Jones tackled Rodgers, who instantly got angry in the situation and made it known to his left tackle.
Former Steelers Offensive Lineman Reacts, Calling Out Jones
Obviously, the moment caught a lot of people's attention and had plenty of Steelers fans, and former players upset at Jones as well. This included former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex, who shared his thoughts on X about how Jones almost made a terrible mistake.
"I’ve literally never seen this before. Obviously it wasn’t intentional by 77 but it was just dumb and a lack of awareness," Essex wrote.
Jones clearly wasn't trying to risk injury and may have gotten a little too excited in the moment, not thinking of the consequences of what he was doing - or that he was 100 pounds heavier than Rodgers and moving at a faster speed.
Still, it could've resulted in a situation that may have derailed Pittsburgh's entire season. Of all the players a team doesn't want to hurt, it's the quarterback. With the Steelers, Rodgers is literally keeping them in games on several occassions, and chances are that they aren't 4-2 without him on the field this season.
Flacco’s Bengals Heroics Spark Mixed Feelings in Cleveland
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was not watching as his former quarterback, Joe Flacco, lit up the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.
Flacco turned back the clock and carved up the Steelers for 327 yards and three touchdowns. It included a clutch game-winning drive that gave the Bengals a 33-31 victory.
Flacco was the Browns’ opening day starter but was traded to the Bengals a week after being benched in favor of Dillon Gabriel. Stefanski didn’t catch the AFC North clash between Flacco’s Bengals and the Steelers, who beat the Browns 23-9 last week
“I did not, no. I’m definitely asleep on Thursday nights,” Stefanski said. “You’re always rooting for all of your friends around the league, and that really happens on a lot of teams. But, really mostly focused on our team and what we got in front of us.”
One member of the Browns who did tune in was star defensive end Myles Garrett.
“I think Joe looked like Joe. I mean, I’m happy that he went out there and got a win,” Garrett said. “He played how we know he can, and so he made plays when they needed him to. Got the ball out quick, put on the money down the field, looked great.”
Browns Myles Garrett Questions Offense Amid Skid
Garrett didn’t question Flacco’s success in Cincinnati, citing that it comes down to the personnel.
“I mean, all offenses are a little bit different, whether it’s the players that they have or the schemes that they run,” Garrett said. “So, you know, you got to make it work for with the guys that you have and figure it out from there.”
What Garrett questioned was the Browns’ recent game plan against the Steelers. Gabriel threw the ball 52 times and the Quinshon Judkins-led run game never got a chance to get going with the Browns chasing.
“I would have liked to see us stick to the run a little bit, especially with a dynamic playmaker like Quinshon, hell, even Dylan (Sampson),” Garrett said. “Both of them getting the ball, both of them have different styles, but effective runners in their own right. So, would like to see it, but they saw differently.”
Browns Offense Looking to Get on Track
The Browns’ offensive struggles have been well documented. Cleveland is averaging an NFL-worst 13.7 points per game and has been unable to produce explosive plays, particularly in the passing game.
Getting the offense on track Sunday might be tough with some inclement weather inbound. Rain and strong winds are expected, which could hamper Cleveland’s ability to pass the ball.
“I mean, you gotta spin it in the wind. Dillon does that pretty well,” Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said. “Throws a pretty tight ball. Obviously, you got to play on time, you know, some balls that maybe get away with late, but if you’re playing on time, playing on rhythm, hopefully you’re pretty efficient still.”
Cleveland is a slight favorite for the first time this season as they host the 1-5 Miami Dolphins.
