Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers put aside any concerns of jet lag by taking down the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in Paris. The team is now 5-2 and gets to have plenty of fun on the flight back to America.
The game was played amid civil unrest in the city, but everything went off smoothly as the NFL continues to grow its international footprint.
Rodgers finished the game with 212 passing yards and a touchdown, while Jaylen Warren continued his run of dominance with 101 yards on the ground. Yet it was the Steelers defense that won the game, holding the Saints to 10 points in the 16-10 win.
The veteran quarterback is clearly enjoying his farewell NFL season and showed off a new side of himself on the flight home.
Aaron Rodgers Has Fun on Flight Back to Pittsburgh
Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph shared a picture of Rodgers decked out in gold chains, posing with Cam Heyward as the veterans celebrated the win abroad.
Rodgers clearly took some motivation from Kirk Cousins, but decided to keep his shirt on for the fun photo.
(via @Rudolph2Mason)
Rodgers had a relatively slow start to the season as the Steelers began with a 1-1 record. He has since turned back the clock and has 11 touchdown passes in the past five games. Most importantly, the Steelers are on a three-game winning streak after the win in France over the Saints.
This sets up the team for a first-place showdown next Sunday against the 5-2 Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh.
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The Steelers dropped to 2-2 back in Week 4 after suffering a 27-24 loss to the Browns on a Thursday night. Rodgers tossed two interceptions and the main storyline after the game was the quarterback screaming at head coach Mike McCarthy throughout the game.
That has all been forgotten as the Steelers have won three in a row and Rodgers looks to be having the most fun he’s had in years.
Taking down the Browns at home next week will be crucial in keeping the good vibes flowing in Pittsburgh. Yet even a loss only drops the team to 5-3 in what appears to be a wide-open AFC this season.
The Steelers are arguably at a disadvantage without a bye week following an international game. However, the fact Rodgers and his teammates are keeping things light on the flight home may mean the travel won’t have a major impact on the game.
Aaron Rodgers Shows Off Powerful New Look After Win in Paris