THE HERD | Colin Cowherd BLOWN AWAY, Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers Have Been GREAT | NFL

So, uh, Aaron Rodgers, this is so it’s I’ll explain it, but Aaron Rogers now, according to PFF, is the lowest graded quarterback in the NFL. Lower than JJ McCarthy, lower than Russell Wilson and Flaco, who have been benched, lower than 0 and4 Cam Ward, and lower than Gino Smith, who just threw an interception last segment. He’s lower than all of them. He was 20 of 24 last weekend. He’s completing 69% of his throws. Has a 103 passer rating. Not to be obnoxious to PFF, but uh I’m going to go with no. He’s not the worst. And he may win the division because currently in the AFC North, the starters are Jake Browning, Dylan Gabriel, and Cooper Rush. He may win the division. Here’s where I’m going to defend Aaron Rodgers. He’s asked on this team. I said this two months ago. He’s Chris Paul. He’s not Steph Curry on this team. Aaron is he is he is Chris Paul. Occasionally go hit DK Metaf or a back shoulder throw. I don’t need you. I don’t need Steph Curry. I don’t need James Harden. That’s not what I need you to do. So, he is the lowest rated quarterback because in the PFF grading um he has the fewest air yards per attempt. He’s not taking big swings down the field. He only has three total big- time throws all season. That’s what they call down the field into a tight window. But my take is he’s new here. They’ve got a good enough defense to win. If you look at the quarterbacks he’s gone against, it’s Carson Wentz with three offensive line injuries. My take is Aaron in Dublin started looking at that offensive line with the Vikings. He started looking at Kevin O’Connell’s inability to adapt or change. He couldn’t because of personnel. He looked at the pressure on Carson Wentz and Aaron’s a smart guy. He’s watching in real time what’s happening and he’s like, I don’t need to take any risks. I don’t need to throw the ball down the field. So, I think you have to be careful about PFF grade. I’ve watched Gino Smith every snap this year. Aaron’s been the better quarterback. And I also believe Aaron’s a very smart guy and he gets into in-game situations and sometimes you let the game breathe. Sometimes the team needs energy. Sometimes they need a big throw down the field, but in that game from the very beginning, first drive, first eight minutes, you’re like, “Oh, and Minnesota can’t block them. Minnesota’s having a problem here.” Then a guy rolls over and he’s hurt. Aaron read the room. So I And if you look at the schedule for the next couple of weeks, Cleveland and Cincinnati, they’re going to win two more games. Now, it gets really tough after that. It’s a lot of Packers and Colts and Chargers and Buffalo and Baltimore and at Detroit. But I I will defend Aaron here. I do think and this happens all the time. You ever gone in for a big meeting, a sales meeting, and uh it kind of goes sideways fast and you’re like, I got to read the room here. I just I just got to save the meeting. I’m I’m not We’ve all gone on a date. You go to a meeting. Aaron’s in a big football game and you read the room during the game. I’m going to scale back. No big swings here. Yeah. Well, because Colin because Aaron Rogers is an all-time great, a seasoned veteran. He is going to understand how to run an offense arguably better than any other quarterback right now just by sheer virtue of experience and doing it for so long and doing it at such a ridiculously high level. Now, does he have the physical talent left that Josh Allen or Mahomes has? Obviously not because of age and all of that. But in terms of the decision making, in terms of uh running an offense, manipulating defenses, understanding, yeah, he’s going to be able to create that. But also give a ton of credit to the coaching staff for the Steelers as well. This was an offensive game plan and a defensive game plan for that matter. Um, you know, specifically just against the Minnesota Vikings. The the the the Steelers have been for real and everyone’s always surprised every time they win or every time they have success, they’re like, I didn’t see this coming. even though it’s been like that every single year for years and years and years. But before I get too deep into it, I got to thank Pittsburgh Steelers fans. You guys did something that was absolutely awesome. Absolutely incredible. I Steelers videos were getting like no views, like hundreds. And I was just like, this is so frustrating. I want to be able to talk about Pittsburgh Steelers. And so I reached out and I said this any deeper. Pittsburgh Steelers fans, I need you to subscribe to this channel and I need you to watch the full length of the video as it is the best way to help support the growth of this channel. I’m I’m I’m out here trying to make Pittsburgh Steelers there’s a there’s a handful of teams that like I want to be able to more consistently make content, but the the the views are so hit or miss. I’ve been trying to make Aaron Rogers and Pittsburgh Steelers videos and I’ll get like 600 views. And again, I want to emphasize, it’s not a matter of just like I’m just trying to get all the views I can and do all that. It’s like I want to make videos that people want to see, that people want to watch, that people want to discuss. So if I make an if I make a Pittsburgh Steelers video and 600 people watch it and there’s one comment, well then it’s just like, well, nobody wants to talk about it. So then I’m like, why why am I why am I going to make videos about it? So I I need you to subscribe. I need you to watch the videos. When you do that, this is what happens. This is what happens. And that way we can ensure that when I when I make Steelers videos, people actually watch them. We actually have the right conversations. We can continue to make awesome Pittsburgh Steelers content. Um, I got a soft spot for Pittsburgh. Uh, lived in Oakland. Uh, know Pittsburgh very well. Strip District and all. Uh, so please, please, please subscribe, watch this video, and help the the Pittsburgh Steelers content aspect of this channel grow. so we can talk about it and make videos and not worry about videos literally getting like 600 views and one comment because then it’s just like then nobody wants to talk about this and then it’s just you know it’s it’s a bummer. But that was just uh a day or two ago. This is how Steelers fans responded to this video got 15,000 views and 255 new subscribers. This is why I keep telling you this is the power that you all have. This is the power that you all have. You guys have the ability to make this channel absolutely amazing to make this a true rooted community. I mean, it’s just it’s it I’m I got the chills looking at it like, you know, like I’ve seen this effect a couple times. the Steelers, uh, the Seattle Seahawks, like they’re the first fan base that I saw because like again, those were a couple of these teams that I’m just like, man, like it’s so frustrating. There’s just no views here. And it’s just like I I I want to talk about I don’t want to just keep talking about the Bills and the Ravens and the Chiefs and the Eagles every single day, all day, non-stop. It’s like let’s I want to be able to have the freedom and flexibility to to start more conversations, deeper conversations. And it’s like this is what you guys did. And it’s it’s absolutely incredible. It’s more than I would have ever, you know, than I than I could, you know, any more than that and you you’re just getting greedy. Take half that. Take a third of that, you know, truly. Uh just trying to avoid making a video that gets 500 views and and one comment cuz then it’s just like, like I said, like I just showed you. It’s just like, well, then you guys obviously don’t want to watch it. And if you don’t want to watch it, you don’t want to talk about it. Well, then I’m not going to make it. It’s really that straightforward. But it is so funny. This is so satisfying to see Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers win and be successful because it it hurts so many people. I mean, it it just does. It hurts their souls. It crushes them. Um, as someone who uses PFF a lot, I usually I mainly use PFF just for the actual statistical database itself, not the offensive ratings and the defensive ratings and all that. I I use that to a degree as well, but it’s usually in context with lots of other stuff. But to be clear that those things are strictly statistical. It’s strictly based off of their statistical analysis. It’s not um a personal feeling. Their personal feeling isn’t that Gino Smith is better than Aaron Rogers or Joe Flack, whatever it is, because they have their own statistical ratings like that that Colin was discussing. But then even they when they make their top 10 list for like receivers or quarterbacks, whatever, it doesn’t perfectly match with just if you just go to the season and click, you know, 2024, you know, offensive rating for quarterbacks and you see the top 10, that’s not it’s not how that works. Um, so that’s why statistics always need to be put into context, ratings, analytics. It’s it’s always both. Um when you do real research in the real world, you know, stuff that really matters, uh you have people who who are strictly there to run the statistical analysis and and and and run all the numbers and do all the various equations and and all the stuff that you can do. It’s very complicated. That’s why that’s like their job. Then you have other people that are like, it’s my job to now interpret this data, this data. It’s my I’m more I’m not the statistical expert in terms of knowing all of the different regression analysis and all this type of stuff to run, but like I’m great at interpreting the data. And so it’s like my job is now I look at the data and figure out this is a little bit misleading or ah this paints an interesting picture. I think we need to now look over here. We need to do that like it’s that’s why it takes multiple people. It’s not just one person to do it all. uh that that’s why you know research is done and and and you know the the the journal articles that are written are it’s a it’s a sea of author of authors. Uh that’s how it works. So that that’s why I’m I I always find it funny that with sports people are so quick to use statistics and it’s like they actually have no background or or understanding of like how to actually utilize it. And I’m not going to act like I’m the best at it either, but I do have actual experience looking at data and and doing analysis and and working in labs and all the stuff that I just mentioned a second ago. Again, I’m not a a a super mega expert, but I understand that these things have to be put in context and that it’s not just numbers don’t lie or whatever that or when it’s appropriate to use statistics to paint a picture and when it’s not, when it’s inconvenient and how to wrestle with that. It’s it’s a moving target. It’s a moving target. And again, it’s something that I’m still growing and learning, especially specifically in the football world. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I get it wrong. Um, but u I don’t think uh, you know, I really love what Greg Coell said about, you know, data and statistics and it’s something that I really took to heart. I heard it last year when he said this when he said like, you know, I um I I I watch what I see first and, you know, reach my conclusions with what I see on the film and then I look at the data to see what the data shows. And I think that’s the best way to go about it, specifically, you know, when we’re talking about sports and whatnot. And that’s why I talk about this, I’m a broken record, this running an offense, executing an offense, like it’s not about these big plays. It’s not about being able to scramble for 10 seconds and letting it rip. It’s not about, you know, some of this other stuff. It’s like how how successful are you at running the offense when when when you do have an opportunity for a big play? When you do have a receiver who’s going to be open within the first half second of calling, do you do you get him the ball? Right? Like h how are you executing the game plan itself? You have a lot of quarterbacks who are struggling, but then they can overcome it with a couple with a handful of big plays or whatnot, but like they’re they’re struggling to run the offense, but they can still throw for like 280 yards and two touchdowns, but yet they’re clearly struggling throughout the game. And it’s almost kind of like reversed with that with Aaron where it’s just like, right, he’s not throwing for 300 yards, he’s not throwing for a million touchdowns, he’s not having these amazing plays, but he’s clearly not struggling. And anytime the offense um isn’t maybe as productive as you would want it to be, you’re not like, “Well, Aaron’s Aaron’s missing throws. Aaron completely m dude. Does Aaron know how to read a defense or like he’s holding on to the ball too long?” Like that’s obviously not that’s not what’s happen. Oh, he’s trying to too he’s trying to do too much there. Like that’s obviously not what’s happening. Obviously not at all. And yet you can say that for many other quarterbacks who have better stats than him. you know, that that’s a a big portion of what I mean when I talk about running an offense, executing an offense. And again, it’s one of my main uh opinions on this channel is always about uh the benefit of having a veteran. And it’s funny because I’ve I’ve recently gotten in some weird debates with uh Dak Prescott fans and Dallas Cowboys fans and talking about an older quarterback and whatnot and they’re like, “Warren Rogers is still playing.” And I’m like, “Well, he’s an all-time great talent. he’s a he’s a Hall of Famer because I said that listen, you know, Dak Prescott is he’s 32. He’s going to be leaving his prime sooner rather than later, etc., etc. And then they point to Aaron Rogers and it’s like Aaron Rodgers, one of the things that makes Aaron Rogers so brilliant and such a such a a a special talent is because of what he’s got in his head is is is from the neck up. is his ability to run and execute an offense at the highest level. So, you can overcome any of the physical limitations that he may have in this moment. That’s also why a Tom Brady was able to last long uh last for so long. It’s why even a Matthew Stafford can still last long. It’s why someone like a Kirk Cousins and a Russell Wilson, they struggle as the years go on. They they can’t overcome that as much. And so that that’s the benefit that an Aaron has right now and you see it on full display, but you need the Pittsburgh Steelers to understand the assignment as well. And their defense is their defense is and their O line is now and the coaching staff understands it. The game plan, getting the ball out quick, trying to really make sure that this run game is legit. adding an extra lineman for protection to not only uh help with Aaron, but then also help with uh the run game as well. You see this team evolving and making moves and it’s great to see and it’s just it’s just there’s so many people that are actively rooting against the Pittsburgh Steelers and uh Aaron Rogers. Like there’s there’s a difference. I think it’s always okay to kind of question or be skeptical. Uh even have doubt in certain circumstances like I don’t know if this is going to work, right? I don’t know if Aaron’s going to work with Pittsburgh. He might be too old. The defense isn’t as good as it was before, etc. It’s like I I think that’s all fair game. Th those takes, those opinions, like going into the season, I think is totally fair game. But when you see that some people have certain takes, it’s because it’s just like I want them to fail. I doubt them because I don’t like them because I truly just it would it would just drive me crazy. It would drive the NFL world crazy right now to have the Pittsburgh Steelers win this division. I I thought about this the other day. I actually think the funniest Super Bowl that would just make this the NFL world lose their mind lose their mind would be Pittsburgh Steelers versus Philadelphia Eagles because it pains them that the Philadelphia Eagles keep winning. It pains them that Jaylen Herz has the Super Bowl. It pains them that Nick Seriani has a Super Bowl. They don’t want Aaron Rogers back in there either, right? They don’t want the Steelers either. And it’s just like the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl. I mean, just like what do you think like a Nick Wright would have to I mean, what take could he possibly have, right? Like he would either be forced to compliment the Eagles or he would be forced to compliment the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like you would you you would just it would be so so hard for the NFL media world to just wrap their head around it. They just they just they just couldn’t they wouldn’t be able to. So, it would just the Eagles and the Steelers have the potential to do the funniest thing in the history of the NFL. Break the brains of the media. I’d be all for it. But those are just my thoughts. I’d absolutely love to hear yours. What do you guys all think about the Pittsburgh Steelers? Is it clear that Rogers and the Steelers can maintain their hot start? Let me know in the comments below. I read every single comment. So whether you agree with me or disagree with me, either way, let’s get in some discussions. Let’s get in some fights. But ultimately, let’s just have some fun. And please do consider subscribing. We are building an amazing community here and absolutely love to see you part of it. I want to build something that we all generally feel connected to. Something that we’re really excited to be part of. I think we’re well on our way to doing it. Please don’t forget to give this video a thumbs up as it really does help with the visibility and the algorithm. Thank you so much. See you next time.

THE HERD | Colin Cowherd BLOWN AWAY, Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers Have Been GREAT | NFL
#theherd #colincowherd #pittsburghsteelers

36 comments

  3. Subber & I’m Huge Steelers fan, it’s actually nice seeing someone actually stand up & speak the truth about the Steelers. I’m shocked you don’t have more views frr

  4. 13:49 Aaron does what you’re supposed to do, a guy is open for 3-4 yards take it, they might get to a first down, if not, cool, now he has wiggle room, want to run it with J Warren, want to throw again, he does skip over the open guy for a few yards for a big splash play, he knows the defense we got, I say we, yes ik but I’m a die hard fan, he knows the D can make these splash plays, leave rhe splash for the D unless it just open, instead of standing tjere looking for a splash play thay just might not get open. Then when tou want to come back to the once was open reciever, it’s too late & gotta throw the ball away or take a sack, what does every youtuber tell you to do in Madden, you always look for the short routes first, if they are covered, then a spash play could be open. A lot of QB’s I’ve seen this year look for spash over yards, yards get you first downs, & every first down gets you closer to the first & goal & a TD. What’s important to keep drives alive and keeping the defense off the field is first downs, yes a spash play could happen and that’s great but playing smart & playimg complementary football is smarter & a better option to win games, if them spash plays don’t happen, next thing uk you fall behind on points then need spash plays & force things, then you get lucky or end up throwing a pick & tje games over. I wasn’t sold on Aaron at first but I am now & I am thankful for him, I wish Justin Fields had stayed tbh bc I did think he could be our Franchise guy but he wouldn’t always take the first guy he seen & held the ball to long sadly. I now see why Mike T wanted A Rod & Mike has taken more heat than he deserves. Also with all that being said when you have guys like Jalen Warren who I strongly feel has been underrated for a few years now & now having DK, Aaron knows spash plays can happen without banking on down field throws, Aka prime example last week, 80 yards to the crib from DK 🦾 bte he’s my favorite WR ever in the NFL, he went to Ole Miss, my moms favorite College Team, not mine lol but bc of her ik of him & followed his career to Seattle & I’m thankful he’s a Steeler now. Never seen that coming, but these team gets too much hate from reporters 24/7 & news channel, espn etc I don’t want to be one of the guys just saying it’s our year but I think we have a chance. Don’t want to Jinx it but nobody in the NFL’s media industry sees it coming.

  7. No onky is colin back tracking now on steelers, his co is begging for steelers fans to sign up on their show. I won't ever give these to NUTS A DIME.
    Their a joke and full of bologna!!!!

  26. Preach Julian.. people in the media want Aaron Rodgers to get injured against the unreal Minesota defense! Really … the fact that they are 3-1 and the Jets are 0-4 hurt a lot expert, still believe it’s fluky … I just enjoy watching Aaron Rodgers operate as a QB … he is not in his prime but he is still the best thrower ever when necessary.

  27. As a Steelers fan I love the hate from Pittsburgh local media, other Steeler fans and everyone else. I love my team win or lose and will never make excuses for them winning games like some of ya'll. I don't want anyone to think they're any good. 😅😅😅😅😅😅

  28. We should be possibly 4-0 if Kaleb Johnson doesn't walk away from the kickoff. We were only down by 7 points on that kickoff. We would have had to be one dimensional on that drive and could have tied it up

  32. PFF ratings are the most inherently flawed ratings I've ever seen. They don't have nearly enough information to create scores for these plays and then you add in biases and a flawed system and they end up being useless. Thank God someone is finally talking about how stupid it is for Rodgers to be rated so low despite playing really solid and complimentary football.

    As a Steelers fan, I appreciate your content and level headed approach to the ridiculous takes we get from all over the place.

  33. yeah man born and raised Pittsburgh Steelers fan lived in other parts of the country there's a Steeler bar in every city when you talked about living in the city of Pittsburgh particularly Oakland you got my like( but you're going to have to bring the fire if you want my subscription)

  35. Just keep churning out the wins, don’t worry about what’s going on with the media and other AFC north teams. One game at a time.

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