The Pittsburgh Steelers started the 2025 campaign in the win column, winning an action-packed showdown in MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets on Sunday. While Mike Tomlin will have plenty of notes for his squad before they host the Seahawks next weekend, there’s plenty for Steelers fans to be optimistic about. Most importantly, we’ve seen every team play four quarters of meaningful football (aside from the Vikings and Bears, who will play Monday night), which means we can finally start to figure out how Pittsburgh matches up with their opponents going into the rest of the season. Granted, our sample size of one game per team certainly isn’t enough to be totally accurate, but it’s certainly better than the preseason results we’ve been trying to make sense of for the last few weeks. Taking a look at the Steelers’ performance against the Jets, let’s see where this team’s strengths and weaknesses are after their first real game. 

Passing Offense

Aaron Rodgers’ critics spent much of last season asking if he was the problem for the New York Jets. While his responsibility in last year’s 5-12 record is still up for debate, there was no doubt regarding his role in the Jets’ demise on Sunday. Rodgers looked remarkably comfortable in Arthur Smith’s scheme, making it a point to compliment the offensive playcalling during his postgame interview. Rodgers connected with seven of his new teammates for a total of 244 yards and four touchdowns. DK Metcalf also had a solid debut with four receptions for a team-high 83 yards.

The Steelers were largely unaffected by a quality performance by Jets’ corner Sauce Gardner, opting instead to pick apart his teammates throughout the game. Only four of the Steelers’ remaining opponents fared better than the Jets in terms of passing yards allowed through their first week (not including the Vikings and the Bears, who play each other Monday night). As Rodgers and Smith continue to grow more comfortable over the course of the season, expect the aerial attack to grow even more lethal, especially if Calvin Austin (4/70/1) builds on his performance. However, the offensive line will have to improve their pass protection going forward. For all of his arm talent, the 41 year-old Rodgers can’t take four sacks a game like he did on Sunday. With the likes of Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson, and more on the schedule, the Steelers need to keep the pocket clean for this passing game to continue to flourish. 

Rushing Offense

It’s no secret that Smith places great value in the running game. With that being said, he can’t have been pleased with what he saw on the ground Sunday. Of Pittsburgh’s three running backs, Jaylen Warren was the leader in the clubhouse with 37 yards on 11 carries. Heralded rookie Kaleb Johnson only touched the ball once for a loss of yards. Kenneth Gainwell added just 19 yards to round out a tough outing against a bloodthirsty Jets defensive line, anchored by the disruptive Quinnen Williams. The Jets’ D-line wasn’t projected to be a standout unit coming into the season, so unless New York is much better than anticipated, this unit might be in trouble. A few more strong showings from the passing game will hopefully lead some defenses to disregard the run and create some more chances on the ground for Pittsburgh, and there’s still plenty of time for Johnson to develop. But if this unit continues to perform like it did against New York, teams like Green Bay and Cleveland are going to wreak havoc in the coming weeks. 

Passing Defense

Pittsburgh’s secondary ultimately saved the day, with new addition Jalen Ramsey lighting up Garrett Wilson on fourth down to seal the game for the Steelers. While Ramsey came out the victor in his contentious matchup with Wilson, it wasn’t exactly a strong showing from the Steelers pass defense. Former Steeler Justin Fields looked sharp for the Jets, completing 16 passes for 218 yards, including a beautiful 33-yard passing touchdown to Wilson. Fields never looked genuinely unsettled, with the Steelers pass-rush only getting home for one sack on Sunday. The schedule ahead includes some lethal quarterbacks: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, and Daniel Jones (?!) all had impressive week one performances, and Joe Burrow and Jared Goff will more than likely rebound after shaky starts to the season. The Steelers proved they can deliver in the clutch, but they’ll need to be more consistent going forward. 

Rushing Defense

Pittsburgh certainly missed the presence of injured rookie Derrick Harmon in the interior on Sunday. The Jets steamrolled the Steelers’ front four all game, racking up 182 rushing yards and scoring three times on the ground. Both Fields and running back Breece Hall rebounded from down years in 2024- Fields had two rushing touchdowns, and Hall eclipsed the 100-yard mark in his first game after only seeing triple digit rushing yards once last year.

“We got punched in the mouth to come out the gate, and that’s not the standard for us,” Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith told reporters in his press conference after the game. Linebacker Patrick Queen echoed the sentiment, albeit with a bit more color. Harmon’s eventual return should help to stop the bleeding, but the unit as a whole will need to show significant improvement if this team wants to contain the likes of Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor and Jahmyr Gibbs later this season.