The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to beat the New York Jets during their Week 1 matchup on Sunday, and Pittsburgh got off to a fast start offensively. The offense put up 34 points in the game as Aaron Rodgers' debut for Pittsburgh was a very successful one. The quarterback threw four touchdowns while throwing for just under 250 yards in the game, as he silenced a ton of doubters around the NFL world. The game was closer than the Steelers would have liked as the final score was 34-32, and the organization's defense struggled throughout the contest.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin on the sideline during a win over the New York Jets in 2025.
The Steelers roster the highest-paid defense in the NFL, so expectations are extremely high for that side of the ball. The unit did not meet the standard on Sunday, but the offense played well enough for the team to secure a victory. The Jets were able to run the ball extremely well which opened up the passing game for quarterback Justin Fields. The former Pittsburgh quarterback played well, and he spoke to the media after the game. He wasted no time taking a subtle dig at Pittsburgh's defense.
"I'm just calling it what it is." Fields said. "They acquired all these guys in the offseason, future Hall of Famers on that side of the ball, and we put up 32."
Pittsburgh added a lot to the defense during the 2025 offseason as the secondary has been completely revamped. Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay were brought in, which is some of the star power that Fields was referring to. The Steelers also have another pair of future Hall Of Famers on the defense in Cam Heyward and TJ Watt, which says a lot about how well Fields and the Jets offense played in the contest.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay during their debuts against the New York Jets in 2025.
Fields made his comments to try and ease the pain of the loss for the Jets. Putting up 32 points and nearly 400 total yards means the offense played well against good competition, and it also means the defense for Pittsburgh to not play like it was expected to. The Jets defense did not play well either, and they are largely responsible for the loss, while the offense played better than many expected.
The former Pittsburgh quarterback had a great showing in his debut for New York. He threw for 218 yards and a touchdown while running for two scores and 48 yards. His dual-threat capability was on full display and he took care of the football and was only sacked once. Pittsburgh wanted the quarterback back during the 2025 offseason but the organization was not willing to pay him as much as the Jets, so his comments might have also had something to do with that.
Sebastian Foltz / Post-Gazette
Steelers safety DeShon Elliot works out on the field as the team practices during 2024 mandatory minicamp at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers' Defensive Struggles Against The Jets Make Some Sense
Pittsburgh defense is great on paper, but the struggles against the Jets do make sense. The sheer amount of new acquisitions on that side of the ball is going to take some getting used to, and Pittsburgh was also dealing with some injuries. The Steelers were without first-round pick Derrick Harmon for the entire game, and safety DeShon Elliott exited the game during the first half with a knee injury. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. also exited the game and did not return.
Another reason for the struggles defensively would be that it is a new regime in New York. The Jets have a new head coach and offensive coordinator, and that is hard to scout for because Pittsburgh didn't necessarily know what to expect. The Jets also have Aaron Curry on their staff, who was a defensive coach in Pittsburgh for the last several seasons, and he could have provided some insight while New York was scouting for Pittsburgh.
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