Aaron Rodgers — Week 1: Twelve Third Downs, Three Conversions
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 14
Rodgers completed twenty-four of forty throws for two hundred twenty-one yards and one touchdown, no interceptions, two sacks, and Pittsburgh went three of twelve on third down with every one of the twelve a pass play, kneels aside. He put four hundred seven air yards on forty throws, half of them to DK Metcalf, and most of those did not land, in a 20–13 win over the Falcons in which the deciding touchdown was T.J. Watt's.
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Pittsburgh ran a play on third down 12 times Sunday, leaving aside a kneel, and all 12 were Aaron Rodgers pass plays — 11 throws and a sack. Three converted. The first was third and three at the Atlanta six, 10 44 left in the half, Steelers down six to seven, short middle to Pat Freiermuth for the touchdown, +2.5 expected points added — what a play was worth given down, distance and field position. The second was third and 15 from the Pittsburgh 39 with a minute 49 left in the half, deep middle to Roman Wilson for 20. The third was third and three from the 29 with two 35 left, short left to Darnell Washington for 15, and the Steelers knelt out a seven-point win. The other nine: eight incompletions, six of them deep, one a third and five at the Atlanta 10 that became a field goal, and the sack.
The full line: 24 completions on 40 throws, 42 pass plays counting the two sacks, 221 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions. His three carries for −3 were kneels. The throws carried 407 air yards, 204 of them on the 10 targets to DK Metcalf, who caught four for 40. The 42 pass plays came out at −12.1 expected points, −4.8 before halftime on 27 pass plays and −7.3 after it on 15. The costliest single play was a completion: second and eight at the Pittsburgh 27, two 48 left in the first, short right to Jaylen Warren for no gain, fumble, −5.1, and the Falcons led three plays later. Next was fourth and three at the Atlanta 45 with four 46 left in the third, up 13 to seven, deep right for Metcalf, incomplete, −2.8.
10 targets to Metcalf, six each to Warren and Wilson, five each to Rico Dowdle and Freiermuth, three to Michael Pittman, two to Washington, three throws with no listed receiver. Freiermuth caught all five of his and Pittman all three, eight targets for a hundred four yards and the offense's only touchdown; the 21 to Metcalf, Warren and Dowdle produced 73 yards, a fumble and −13.7 expected points.
The June preview's case for Rodgers was availability — seventeenth among quarterbacks on a full healthy season after years when that could not be assumed. Sunday he was the passer on every Steelers pass play but a fake on a kick, took two sacks and threw it 40 times, which answers the only question a first game can answer about that read. The efficiency was the other story, and one game of it does not make a trend. Pittsburgh is at the Patriots on Sunday the twentieth. Watch where the deep throws go and how many come down.
_Data via nflverse._
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