Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Named 17th-Best NFL QB Heading Into Week 10

Nick Shook of NFL.com ranked Pittsburgh Steelers veteran Aaron Rodgers the 17th-best QB in the NFL heading into Week 10.

Rodgers is one spot ahead of Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield and one spot behind Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward. 

In his final NFL season, Rodgers has 1,871 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. The Steelers are 6-2. 

Pittsburgh ranks 26th in the NFL in dropback EPA and 27th in dropback success rate, according to rbsdm figures cited by Athlon Sports' Jobe Morrison. Morrison listed drops, injuries, and Rodgers' limits as the things holding the passing game back.

Offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio went back through all of it during the bye week. He met with reporters Monday.

"We still got a long ways to go, but certainly pleased with where we are going," Angelichio said, per Steeler Nation.

"I think the passing game is like anything, it's a work in progress," Angelichio said. "We see some good things, and then we take a dive into what are we doing? How do we help our players? Do we have the right concepts? Are we putting them in the best positions? It's probably a little bit of everything."

Two of Rodgers' top three receivers from Week 1 are on injured reserve, Athlon reported. When all three were healthy in Weeks 3 and 4, Pittsburgh ranked 13th in dropback EPA and 12th in dropback success rate, Athlon noted before the bye.

Morrison doesn't think Rodgers can lift the passing game past those problems by himself anymore. His fixes start with getting receivers healthy and catching the ball.

The Steelers list Rodgers at 175 completions on 288 throws for 1,871 yards. That's 6.5 yards per attempt. He's getting the ball out in 2.57 seconds, compared with 2.6 last season, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF also has his average target 7.4 yards downfield. It was 6.6 yards last year.

The dropback EPA is -0.069 and the success rate is 42%. The first two weeks dragged both down, Morrison wrote, and the passing game has been better since Week 3.

Pittsburgh went into the bye 26th in red-zone efficiency, scoring touchdowns on 50% of its trips, according to Athlon. Angelichio said Nov. 2 that the staff would look at its play calls near the goal line.

"We've got to see if we have the right plays down there," Angelichio said, per Steeler Nation.

Morrison called the run game dominant. His concern last year was with Arthur Smith's passing scheme: a deep shot or a checkdown off the run game. Angelichio took over as coordinator this season. The scheme has changed, Morrison wrote, but the passing game still hasn't produced much.

Cleveland came to Acrisure Stadium on Nov. 1 tied with Pittsburgh at 5-2 for first in the AFC North. The Steelers won 27-6, and Steelers Roundtable credited the running backs with igniting the offense. Pat Freiermuth scored from a yard out with six seconds left in the first half for a 19-6 lead.

Rodgers went 13-of-25 for 172 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Rodgers hit Darnell Washington for 58 yards before Jaylen Warren's 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Warren's second score made it 27-6. Washington caught three passes for 94 of the 172 yards Rodgers threw for.

Next for Pittsburgh is a Sunday night game at Cincinnati on Nov. 15.