Aaron Rodgers’ Wrist Injury Could Stifle Pittsburgh Steelers’ Playoff Hopes
The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to fend off the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11 despite losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a wrist injury.
Sunday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the initial fear from one source is that Rodgers suffered “a slight break” in his wrist. Rodgers will undergo further testing on Monday to determine the full extent of the injury and how much time will be missed.
Schefter elaborated that it’s shaping up to be backup quarterback Mason Rudolph against the Chicago Bears next week.
Rudolph was 12-of-16 passing for 127 yards and one touchdown in relief of Rodgers. He was able to seal the 34-12 victory against the Bengals and send the Steelers to 6-4.
The Cleveland Browns didn’t do the Steelers any favors when they collapsed against the Baltimore Ravens. But with a 6-4 record, the Steelers are still on top of the 5-5 Ravens and in sole possession of first place in the AFC North.
But if Rodgers is forced to miss significant time, playoff hopes in Pittsburgh could be all but over.
This offseason, the Steelers signed the 41-year-old hoping to upgrade from Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, who both departed in free agency. While Rodgers took his time committing to Pittsburgh formally, the Steelers brought back Rudolph who flamed out in his lone season with the Tennessee Titans. They also drafted Ohio State quarterback Will Howard on Day 3.
Without Rodgers, this Steelers squad barely has a chance. Even though Rudolph is in his sixth season of serving a backup role, he’s been wildly inconsistent when given significant action. The Titans were starving for a solution at quarterback when they turned to him, and he threw nine touchdown passes to nine interceptions.
More importantly, this Steelers offense leaves a ton to be desired.
Running back Jaylen Warren somehow isn’t used enough on a weekly basis. DK Metcalf was a big offseason acquisition who has been inconsistent. But outside of Metcalf? Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson are Pittsburgh’s other pass catching options.
The Steelers have the luxury of playing in a dreadful AFC North, but the Ravens are coming. Lamar Jackson was horrible in Week 11’s win against the Browns, but the Ravens still mustered an impressive win against an elite defense. They’ve won four straight games.
While Rudolph put together a respectable stat line in replacement of Rodgers, everybody knows how bad Cincinnati's defense has been.
The Bears are 7-3 and host the Steelers on Sunday. After that, the Steelers host the Buffalo Bills before traveling to Baltimore. Things are getting serious in Pittsburgh, and they could be without their starting quarterback.
T.J. Hockenson Opens Up About Vikings' Performance Following Bears Defeat
The Minnesota Vikings came up short in a 19-17 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 11 at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 16, the latest in a stretch in which the offense has failed to reach 20 points in three of the past four games.
J.J. McCarthy had a rough afternoon, completing 16 of 32 passes for 150 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He did settle in late and connected with Jordan Addison for a go-ahead touchdown, but that push couldn’t offset the issues that had built up throughout the day.
After that touchdown, Chicago answered with a quick drive that set up the winning field goal. With the offense again unable to give enough support to the defense, tight end T.J. Hockenson gave an honest response regarding their struggles on that side of the football.
“I think you just go one play at a time,” Hockenson told reporters after the loss. “You can’t press because if you do in this league, that’s when bad things happen. That’s when you do things that our quarterback doesn’t know what you’re doing, and that’s when things become bad.
“I think we just have to take one play at a time, all 11 doing our jobs, and move forward from this. I mean, again, you lose the turnover at two to zero, it’s a tough game to win, and with a thin margin of error, that’s what it came down to, a thin margin of error.”
Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Looks to Step Up as a Leader
While Hockenson is preaching taking it one play at a time for the Vikings to snap out of their offensive funk, Justin Jefferson also stated that it’s on him to step up as a leader to help the group, especially McCarthy, in this time of adversity.
“Everybody feels like it’s difficult, it’s not something we’re keeping under the rug or anything,” Jefferson told reporters after the loss. “Yes, it’s difficult. But as a team, as a captain, as a leader of this team, I have to be the first one out there.
“I have to be the one leading us in the direction of winning and being where we need to be. So if that means taking J.J. out and getting more time with him and building that connection, then that’s what I have to do. I have to figure out what I need to do to get us over that hump.”
Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Drawing Criticism
Much of the blame for the recent offensive issues is being directed at McCarthy following his past few performances. Former Seattle Seahawks standout Richard Sherman is the latest to weigh in on the Vikings quarterback.
“What would the Vikings offense look like if they decided to just keep Sam Darnold?” Sherman wrote during the Vikings-Bears game on X.
Moreover, Sherman followed up this take with ruthless post-game criticism of the Vikings’ starting quarterback,
“I’m old enough to remember the comments I got when I told folks I wasn’t sure if McCarthy was the answer and they let a good quarter fool them,”
