Are All Steelers Fans THIS Optimistic about Aaron Rodgers This Season?

Every fan base has a group chat full of doom. Chris, a self-described "black and gold bleeder" who called The Rich Eisen Show, is here to tell Pittsburgh to cheer up.

He knew what he was walking into. A couple of segments earlier, the desk had popped some of his balloons. He called anyway, because he saw something in Week 1 that the scoreboard did not reflect.

"I know the overall offensive results were not there, but I saw Aaron push the ball down the field," Chris said. In his view, Aaron Rodgers did that more in one game than in almost all of last season.

His case starts with the supporting cast. Last year, he said, Rodgers had DK Metcalf "and a bunch of car salesmen" around him. Now there is Michael Pittman Jr. from the trade, hopefully Roman Wilson, and a rookie out of Alabama, Germie Bernard. That, to Chris, is the best receiving core Rodgers has had since the vintage Green Bay years.

He was careful not to overstate it. "I'm not delusional enough to think that this is 2010 again," he said. But he believes the arm strength is still there, and the ball placement is "one of the best that I've ever seen any quarterback have." The one thing that is gone is the ability to scramble out of pressure like he could when he was young. If Rodgers takes his time and lets plays develop downfield, Chris thinks it works.

His prediction was specific. Maybe not the division, especially if Joe Burrow stays healthy and with Lamar Jackson in it, but a real challenge for a wild card. "I think we have a chance to win 10, 11 games. I truly do."

The desk did not think that was crazy at all. "You should feel that way," came the response, noting that he was talking about a wild card, not a Super Bowl. But the desk did want more from Metcalf, who caught four passes on 10 targets with a really bad drop, even with a missed pass interference call in the game. Rodgers is "not going to be the Aaron Rodgers of old. Nobody expects him to be that." Pittman had a good debut, but he is a complementary receiver, and the Steelers need Metcalf to step up and give Rodgers help.

The running game came up too, with nothing explosive from the backs in Week 1. Chris agreed that has to change, and he does not want Rodgers throwing 42 times. "This isn't 2010 to 2018. It's just not," he said, noting that Mike McCarthy addressed it in a press conference and admitted the team needs more balance.

He also sees reason for hope on defense, with veterans like T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward mixing with good young talent. He loves Patrick Graham's system and noted Graham has said he has not opened up the playbook yet. "He's an attacking style coordinator."

The desk loved the energy. One member, from Pittsburgh with plenty of Steelers fans in their life, said the Facebook posts and group chats have been "all so down on them," so hearing a fan with some optimism was a welcome change.

"Maybe we all need to take a page out of Chris's book," came the closing thought, "and just try and silver line this thing."