Broderick Jones Under Fire as Big Ben Questions Steelers’ Front Five
The Pittsburgh Steelers got off to a 1-0 start to the 2025 season after picking up a 34-32 Week 1 road win over the New York Jets Sunday. It wasn’t all perfect, however, and former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger came away concerned about the offensive line, more specifically, left tackle Broderick Jones.
Aaron Rodgers, making his team debut under center, was sacked four times. Three of those sacks were allowed by Jones, according to Pro Football Focus. From what Roethlisberger observed, Jones looked like a “turnstile” against the Jets.
“What’s going on, on the O-line has to be like pulling hair out because you’re running for 53 yards, and you’ve given up four sacks,” Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast. “And with all due respect, Broderick Jones looks like a turnstile. I mean, it was bad. I don’t know how many of the sacks were on him, but it felt like there was a lot of pressure coming from that left side.”
Jones was ineffective as a pass blocker, and a run blocker. PFF gave him an overall grade of 54.5, 50th among 65 offensive tackles in Week 1. Beyond the sacks allowed, Pittsburgh’s offensive line struggled to create holes for the ground game. The Steelers rushed for just 53 yards on 20 carries.
The Steelers need Broderick Jones to be better
This is a big year for Jones. He was the Steelers’ 2023 first-round selection out of Georgia and to this point, he hasn’t proven to be a viable starting option. This year, he’s back at his natural left tackle spot after starting 16 games at right tackle last season.
The spotlight is on Jones to perform and help keep the 41-year-old Rodgers upright — he did not do that Sunday. Head coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged that Jones needs to play better.
“It could be better, but certainly all of our performances could be better,” Tomlin said. “As I mentioned, our quarterback got hit too much, and he was a component of that.”
Tomlin isn’t worried about Jones losing confidence: “I do not… because it’s football. You don’t get to the National Football League by being fragile emotionally. There’s a lot of confident guys that I work with. You win some battles, you lose some battles. You come back fighting. That’s just the nature of the men that play this game at this level.”
Kevin O'Connell Makes Bold Halftime Promise to J.J. McCarthy: "You're the One Who’s Going to Win This Game!"
In a defining moment of leadership and trust, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell delivered an inspirational halftime message to J.J. McCarthy that has fans and analysts alike talking. With his team down and the pressure mounting, O'Connell told McCarthy, "You're going to bring us back to win this game." And the best part? The look in McCarthy’s eyes after that statement—pure determination.
At halftime, the game was slipping away, but O'Connell knew exactly who to trust. J.J. McCarthy, a young quarterback with all the tools to be great, was asked to rise to the occasion. And rise he did. His eyes burned with confidence, and the Vikings came out with renewed energy in the second half.
McCarthy’s performance in the second half was nothing short of electrifying, as he led the Vikings to a stunning comeback, proving O'Connell’s belief in him was spot on. Fans are now buzzing about McCarthy’s leadership, while O'Connell’s trust in the young quarterback has been hailed as a game-changing move that could define the Vikings' season.
Is McCarthy the future of the Vikings? If this performance is any indication, Kevin O'Connell might have just found his franchise quarterback.
