Steelers need to prove progress has been made vs Seahawks

Week 2 of the 2025 NFL regular season is underway and, on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) will host the Seattle Seahawks (0-1) in their home opener at Acrisure Stadium. Both teams were in close matches in week 1 and would like to build early momentum in September. The Steelers addressed some of the issues they had in their first game this season and are ready to prove that progress has been made when they hit the field against the Seahawks.

Rodgers setting tone for upcoming matchup

Sunday will mark the first game for Aaron Rodgers in the Steelers’ home jerseys and that has fans fired up. He may have gotten them even more on board when he stepped in to defend his teammates on the offensive line who had been under scrutiny for allowing four sacks against the Jets, including three that were laid squarely on left tackle Broderick Jones.

“I don’t think I was moving that well, so I think I ran kind of into at least one or two sacks. So I gotta do a better job of using my legs,” Rodgers said earlier this week. “I thought the protection was good for most of the game… I just gotta get the ball out.”

Jones admitted that putting another performance on tape like what happened in week 1 can’t happen and that this week was spent fixing everything, including the fine details.

Seattle defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is coming off of a good game in which he recorded six tackles, two tackles for a loss, and a quarterback hit. Outside linebacker Boye Mafe also applied nice pressure. Julian Love was among several players along the defensive front that were disruptive in the run and pass game, including Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II,and Derick Hall.

Revenge or just Metcalf seek and destroy?

If the offensive line did their necessary preparation for better protection, Rodgers has the opportunity to give receiver D.K. Metcalf an opportunity to get some sweet revenge. Rodgers got his opportunity to express his enjoyment over beating the Jets – his former team – publicly, and if the O-line steps up it might be Metcalf’s day to air-out his grievances.

Metcalf appeared excited for just such an opportunity after practice, including a reference to a different side to his demeanor on game days. “I get into my alter ego… Seek and destroy.” Some of the hype-up is admittedly media driven. Who wouldn’t want to see D.K. go all-out for the black and gold?

“I take this game very seriously, so my preparation speaks for itself,” said Metcalf. “I’m going to prepare like it’s going to be my last game or like the first game. My preparation is the same.”

Steelers run defense can’t get gashed again this week

“From all appearances this does not look like a team that can run the ball very well right now… You would expect the Steelers to perform better against this group,” Brian E. Roach said on the latest SCU podcast when analyzing Seattle’s rushing offense versus the Steelers’ run defense.

Seattle brought in Klint Kubiak to establish a hard-nosed, leg-pumping run offense. The primary back was to be Kenneth Walker III, but – last week – it appeared that Zach Charbonnet is the better north-south rusher. Walker is powerful, but he has been guilty of impatience. Neither produced runs longer than 8 yards against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Seahawks managed 84 yards on 26 carries last week, which is a far cry from what the Jets managed against the Steelers.

“If they get gashed again this week,” Roach said of the Steelers run defense, “they’re bad… I’m holding my breath a little bit because I just don’t know if they’re that bad yet, or not.”

“I think we have to understand how people are going to attack us. We put some stuff out there that’s unacceptable, but we get to clean it up on Sunday,” Cameron Heyward admitted this week. “When we’ve been at our best, it’s multiple guys either defeating their blocks or maintaining.”

Listen and watch the preview show here: