Dan Orlovsky Declares Aaron Rodgers Back to MVP Form After Steelers Top Ravens

Aaron Rodgers finished with 290+ yards and one touchdown in a crunch game against the Ravens that had shades of his 2020 MVP-winning season.

Dan Orlovsky Declares Aaron Rodgers Back to MVP Form After Steelers Top Ravens

Aaron Rodgers and Dan Orlovsky inside the circle (Image via IMAGO)

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Several factors contributed to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season-defining victory over the Baltimore Ravens on the final day of the season, including a missed field goal. And yet, football analysts gave most of the credit to Aaron Rodgers.

The Steelers were written off as a playoff team at the start of the season. In fact, Chris Broussard of FOX Sports predicted that Mike Tomlin would end up with a losing record while working with a signal-caller who is past his prime.

Rodgers wasted two years of his career in New York. He spent his first year on IR, and the following season, the Jets won just five games. There were signs of improvement at the back end of 2024, but it did little to appease the critics who wanted the Super Bowl winner to retire.

He didn’t listen and arrived in Pittsburgh with a mission. The first stage of his deal with the Steelers concluded with the win against the Ravens on Sunday night. They are now a playoff team.

For that very reason, NFL analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky showered the four-time NFL MVP with praise during Monday’s episode of “Get Up.”

[The Pittsburgh Steelers] are going on [to the playoffs] because this was a signature performance by Aaron Rodgers, and probably the most signature in four years. There are throws in that game, critical moments, I think only Rodgers makes.

Dan Orlovsky said

Orlovsky has a point. The fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Calvin Austin was the highlight of Rodgers’ evening. He finished with 31 completions for 294 yards and one score. In the fourth quarter alone, he completed 11 of 14 passes, 133 yards, one score, and had a passer rating of 130.1.

Sure, Tyler Loop’s miss helped the Steelers limp into the playoffs, but Rodgers had done the heavy-lifting beforehand. With DK Metcalf serving a two-game suspension, Rodgers’ receiving core was made up of Adam Thielen, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Scotty Miller.

Before the season started, Orlovsky made a bold prediction about the Steelers that caught everyone’s attention. Unlike other analysts, he kept faith in the Steelers to deliver a few surprises.

Aaron Rodgers joins an elite group by defeating the Ravens

Rodgers made waves when he decided to sign with the Steelers after his unceremonious departure from the Jets. The expectations and excitement followed him to the Steel City. For the first time since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers had a quarterback with a CV decorated with MVPs and more wins than interceptions thrown.

Dan Orlovsky Declares Aaron Rodgers Back to MVP Form After Steelers Top Ravens
Aaron Rodgers (Image via IMAGO)

Despite being the underdogs, the Steelers won in Week 18. It marked Rodgers’ 11th career 10-win season. He breaks a tie with former Packers teammate Brett Favre for the third most by a starting QB all-time, after Tom Brady (19) and Peyton Manning (14).

Even his former teammate, Davante Adams, enjoyed seeing him qualify for the playoffs after a three-year gap.

Adams began his career with Rodgers as his quarterback at the Green Bay Packers before moving to the Las Vegas Raiders. They briefly reunited in New York last year and went their separate ways after the season ended. Adams signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams, racked up 789 yards and 14 touchdowns on 60 receptions in 14 games. He missed the final three games due to a hamstring injury.

The Rams still finished as the NFC fifth seed with a 12-5 record and will play the 8-9 Carolina Panthers in the wildcard round. The Steelers, meanwhile, face off against the 12-5 Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium.

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