Germie Bernard Hears The Truth From Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Following Victory Over Colts

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 34-22 to improve to 3-2. Pittsburgh's offense came to life, scoring a season-high 34 points on another three-touchdown day from Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers had his best game of the season despite missing two wide receivers. With Michael Pittman Jr. on Injured Reserve (IR) and Roman Wilson leaving the contest with a dislocated finger, the veteran signal-caller turned to his rookie second-round pick, Germie Bernard, who didn't disappoint. 

Bernard led the Steelers wide receivers in receiving yards in the win over the Colts, catching six passes for 80 yards on nine targets. When the personnel got thin, Rodgers targeted the rookie more than anyone else, showing his trust in the former Alabama standout. Bernard made plays with the ball in his hands, but his best came when he didn't have it. 

The rookie ran a perfect pick route, leaving Pat Freiermuth wide open for an easy touchdown. With the man coverage the offense has been facing, the Steelers dialed up plenty of pick routes to beat it. Freiermuth and Bernard kept playing off of one another all game, leading to huge plays. These efforts didn't go unnoticed. In his press conference, Rodgers gave both men his nod of approval. 

"I'm proud of the way Pat [Freiermuth] played and proud of the way Germ [Bernard] played.

Bernard has been playing more every week, but Week 5 was by far the best game of his young career. He's been out-snapping Wilson, who's listed as the third starter on the depth chart, but hasn't been very present since a drop that led to an interception in Week 4. With 80 receiving yards, Bernard's showing Steeler Nation and the coaching staff what he can do. With the Steelers being extremely thin at wide receiver, the production is likely to continue. 

Rodgers is notorious for not throwing to rookie wide receivers, but, so far, Bernard is getting the ball. All offseason, Bernard received huge praise from Rodgers' teammates, but he didn't see snaps that matched that praise early on. Now, every week, he becomes more and more of a piece to the puzzle. He's not the flashiest player, but he does the dirty work and makes veteran-like plays, which likely keeps him a huge factor in games. 

It's unclear whether Wilson will miss time with his injury, but a dislocated finger for a wide receiver is bad news. With the team being without Pittman for at least three more games, they may want to make a move at wide receiver. Given how they've been running the offense, they'll need another pass-catcher. Mike McCarthy loves 11 personnel, and without Wilson and Pittman, Kaden Wetjen and Brandon Smith are the options who, before Week 5, hadn't played a single offensive snap. 

Steelers Offense Is Getting Better

Overall, the Steelers' pass catchers have been largely disappointing before the win against the Colts. DK Metcalf has had drop issues and hasn't created separation, like the other wide receivers. Rodgers has often been left helpless with no one open across the field, but that wasn't the case on Sunday. The receivers were getting open for the first time all season, and Rodgers was rewarding them. 

Along with the receivers, the play calling is getting into a very good rhythm and leaning more on the run game. McCarthy has described his play calling as "herky-jerky," and he's right. It's still not perfect, but it's improving every week. Adding another wide receiver until Pittman is back and healthy could be a great way to keep the unit afloat during their easier stretch of games. 

With the new staff, a slow start is always possible, but over the past three games, it's clear the offense is gaining its stride. Trying to stay diverse, they are doing a great job of mixing passes and rushes, getting all of their playmakers involved. If the offense keeps improving week to week, it could be the best unit the team has had in a long time. 

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