Steelers report card: Jaylen Warren hot streak continues; Aaron Rodgers shines

The Pittsburgh Steelers picked up a 34-22 win against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Oct. 11, at Acrisure Stadium.

It was their third win in three opportunities at home and helps them keep pace in a competitive AFC North division race.

Here’s USA TODAY’s report card for each position group as coach Mike McCarthy’s team now looks ahead to an NFL Week 6 road matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 18.

Aaron Rodgers completed each of his first 11 passes and did a nice job spreading the ball around. Three Steelers receivers had at least five catches while four had at least three. He utilized a lot of the quick passing that he had frequent success with last season under former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and it paid off as Rodgers finished with completions on 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns. It seems things are clicking a little bit more each week in his reunion with Mike McCarthy.

Jaylen Warren opened the scoring for the Steelers with an 80-yard catch and run from Rodgers on the second drive of the day. Later, he scored on a 50-yard run. Those two plays accounted for most of his production for the day as the gameplan seemed to lean heavily into the pass. The explosiveness, however, is plenty for full marks here. If anything, he might deserve more opportunities.

Rookie Germie Bernard had a nice day with six catches for 80 yards. DK Metcalf was relatively quiet again with three for 12 yards and a second-half drop. Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek were both injured, limiting this group’s ability to contribute in the contest. Things may be getting dire after Michael Pittman Jr. was placed on injured reserve Saturday. The Steelers sure must be thankful they used a second-round NFL draft pick on Bernard back in April.

The pass blocking was solid, as Rodgers was sacked just once. Other than the long Warren run, the ground game never really got going, though that partially seemed like a gameplan decision. Center Zach Frazier and guard Brock Hoffman were both hit with holding calls that slowed the offense down.

<1 / 30

<2 / 30

<3 / 30

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, drafted 24th overall by the Green Bay Packers, poses with family and friends during the 2005 NFL Draft at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City on April 23, 2005.

<4 / 30

<5 / 30

<6 / 30

<7 / 30

<8 / 30

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell presents the Super Bowl MVP trophy to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at a news conference on Feb. 7, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. The Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 to win Super Bowl 45.

<9 / 30

Aaron Rodgers celebrates the Super Bowl 45 title with Green Bay Packer fans during a Return to Titletown Celebration on Feb. 8, 2011 at Lambeau Field.

<10 / 30

<11 / 30

<12 / 30

<13 / 30

<14 / 30

<15 / 30

Aaron Rodgers is shown with back up quarterbacks Tim Boyle (left) and Jordan Love during the team’s training camp in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Aug. 24, 2020.

<16 / 30

<17 / 30

<18 / 30

<19 / 30

<20 / 30

<21 / 30

<22 / 30

<23 / 30

<24 / 30

<25 / 30

<26 / 30

<27 / 30

<28 / 30

<29 / 30

<30 / 30

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fumbles as he is hit by the Houston Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. The Texans’ Sheldon Rankins (90) returned the fumble for a touchdown as Houston went on to a 30-6 wild-card playoff win at Acrisure Stadium on Jan. 12, 2026.

Pat Freiermuth scored the second and third touchdowns of the day on throws from Rodgers. He finished the afternoon with five catches for 44 yards as he continues to develop a dynamic connection with his quarterback. Darnell Washington added two catches of his own. The downside for him was a holding call.

This group did an excellent job limiting star Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. He finished the afternoon with just 45 yards on 15 carries as the rush lanes were frequently filled with Steelers linemen. The passing game was a bit of a different story, as the pressure on Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was relatively light. But this group accomplished its primary objective against this opponent.

T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Co. also had difficulty getting to Jones. The Steelers finished the afternoon with zero sacks. Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson were active in slowing Taylor, though, with the latter notching a pair of tackles for loss.

Jones consistently found receivers downfield early. Tight end Tyler Warren finished with seven catches for 83 yards against this Steelers defense. Josh Downs sparked a touchdown drive with a 42-yard catch in the first half. To their credit, the defensive backs started to turn the tide in the second half as Jones’ effectiveness started to wane. Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. came up with a couple of clutch pass breakups to force Colts field goals.

The offense seems to be finding its way with McCarthy and Rodgers at the helm, despite their visible bickering in the loss last week vs. Cleveland. DC Patrick Graham’s defense did a nice job limiting the Colts to field goals instead of touchdowns but allowed them to move the ball fairly well.

Advertisement