Pittsburg, PA
Study: Will Aaron Rodgers Fix Pittsburgh's Red Zone Offense?
Continuing to evaluate new Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, today’s topic is red zone passing. It’s a shortened area of the field where accuracy is extremely important to convert the opportunity with a trip to the end zone.
The goal is to see what Rodgers offered last season in comparison to the top 25 QBs in red zone attempts. What could that mean for 2025?
For starters, Rodgers had 83 attempts inside the 20, fifth-most in the NFL. So, there were ample opportunities compared to his peers. In comparison, 2024 Steelers starter Russell Wilson had 45 attempts inside the 20, but missed the first six games of the season.
That would extrapolate to roughly 70 red zone passing attempts in a full 17 game season, still shy of Rodgers in as many games played. The hope is that Rodgers brings more red zone trips to Pittsburgh, increasing the ultimate goal of scoring more points.
With opportunities laid out, let’s look into performance. Here are completion rates to gauge accuracy in the toughest areas of the field. Included are inside the 20 and inside the 10 completion rates:

Neither qualifying QB was ideal in the red zone last season. Wilson and Rodgers had similar inside the 20 completion rates (51.1, 50.6), landing in the bottom five ranks. Rodgers’ 50.6 percent was third-worst and isn’t comforting to the hope of an improved Steelers red zone offense.
While still under the mean, Rodgers did find more success inside the 10, where the blades of grass are minimal. His 47.5 completion rate inside the 10 ranked 18th, a five-spot improvement from inside the 20. This, along with six of the last 10 seasons being above 50 percent in both, point to his ability to potentially look better in 2025.
This includes a recent four-year stretch from 2019-2022 prior to his Achilles injury early in 2023. Some speculate that factor makes his pre-injury stats irrelevant, but to ignore the resume entirely is extreme. Yes, his 2024 season with the Jets was largely disappointing, but the potential for a turnaround is there.
I also wanted to provide red zone touchdown rates (the percentage of pass attempts that were TDs), in the same inside the 20 and 10 scenarios:

Unfortunately, it’s the same area of the chart for the players in our sights. Rodgers did have the better marks of the two, starting with a 22.9 red zone TD rate (16th), and 35 percent inside the 10 (15th). Similar rankings that didn’t feature the jump on the scoreboard that his completion rate did.
More specifically, Rodgers had 19 inside the 20 TDs compared to two interceptions, and 14 inside the 20 touchdowns with just one INT. Both TD totals tied for ninth last season, but the touchdown rates on the visual emphasizes less expected production given his playing time.
While this is true, Rodgers had better marks than Pittsburgh in 2024. Wilson had a 22.2 inside the 20 TD rate, tying for 19th, a few spots below Rodgers. The bigger gap once again was inside the 10, where Wilson was 27.8 percent and third-worst, with Rodgers landing nine spots higher.
The fact that Rodgers was clearly better inside the 10, in the tightest of windows, has me optimistic that he could provide an improved red zone offense for the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers. Adding to this feeling is seeing the majority of his red zone production during his last decade in the NFL being above the line.
The 2024 season was less than ideal for both Pittsburgh and Rodgers. But the new pairing looks to right the ship on the scoreboard, impacted greatly by red zone success. Rodgers has certainly proven capable, and here’s to hoping that’s in store this year.
Pittsburg, PA
Allegheny County to hold 100th birthday bash for the Andy Warhol Bridge this summer
With America celebrating its 250th birthday this summer, a major landmark in Pittsburgh will celebrate its 100th birthday.
Allegheny County announced a 100th Birthday Bash for the Andy Warhol Bridge on Saturday, June 27, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato made the event official on Friday morning and said it will feature art, music, games, and more.
“Allegheny County’s history is filled with innovation and creativity, beautiful architecture, and talented homegrown artists, and the Andy Warhol Bridge encapsulates all of that in one iconic structure,” said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. “I hope everyone will come down for a fun day of art, community, and a shared celebration of our history on June 27.”
Part of the celebration will be art projects hosted and led by the Andy Warhol Museum and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Local artist Strawberry Luna will also create a special, commemorative poster celebrating the bridge’s history.
The Andy Warhol Bridge is the only bridge in the country to be named for a visual artist, according to Allegheny County.
“As our nation commemorates the U.S. Semiquincentennial, it is fitting that we recognize the oldest of the three Sister Bridges, which represent Pittsburgh’s tradition of innovation, ingenuity, and ‘we can do it’ spirit,” said Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Senator John Heinz History Center. “These iconic bridges, painted in ‘Aztec Gold’ as an homage to the city’s official colors, are symbols of Pittsburgh’s vibrancy, culture, and most importantly, its people.”
Formerly known as the Seventh Street Bridge, it was renamed the Andy Warhol Bridge in 2005 to honor the famous artist as well as the 10th anniversary of the Andy Warhol Museum, which is two blocks away.
Pittsburg, PA
Man critically injured after assault in Pittsburgh
A man was critically injured after being assaulted by a group of people in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood on Thursday evening, authorities said.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said officers were called to South St. Clair and Eva streets around 5 p.m. for reports of a man who was assaulted by a group of people. The assault happened next to a Whole Foods store.
At the scene, which bordered a park with a playground, first responders found a man who was unconscious and not breathing. Officers and medics performed CPR on the man until he was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. The exact nature of his injuries was not released.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said “several males of unknown age” were detained and transported to police headquarters for questioning. It was not immediately known if any of them would be charged.
A KDKA-TV crew observed a second police scene nearby on Centre Avenue next to The Fresh Market, which was previously a Whole Foods. At that scene, KDKA-TV observed what appeared to be at least one teenager being taken into a police car. A witness told KDKA-TV they saw police questioning nearly 10 people, ranging from grade schoolers to teenagers.
Pittsburgh Public Safety did not say what led up to the assault.
“Those kids, whoever they were, need to be reprimanded for that, because that was horrible, horrible,” said Asia Wilter, who was nearby on Thursday evening.
Over the weekend, another man was assaulted outside a 7-Eleven store on Penn Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh. Police say the assault started inside the 7-Eleven after the victim mentioned to an employee that he believed a group of teenage males was shoplifting.
Pittsburgh police say the victim scraped his elbow and had a small abrasion on his face. He refused to be transported to the hospital, but police say he went on his own to get checked out. Police are searching for the teens.
Earlier this month, six teenage girls were charged after authorities said they chased a woman into a Sephora store in East Liberty and beat her. Sephora’s loss prevention officer estimated the teens caused approximately $30,000 in damage.
Pittsburg, PA
Bystander helps students involved in school bus crash in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood
Just before 8 a.m. on Thursday morning, a school bus rammed into a tree in Highland Park.
The students on the bus were being transported to Schiller STEAM Academy when the driver began to swerve, ultimately running off the road and colliding with the tree on Bryant Street.
According to EMS, about 10 students were on the bus, and they were evaluated on the scene. Medics on the scene determined the students had not been injured in the crash.
A woman who lived nearby heard the crash and immediately jumped into action to help the students.
“Utmost importance was the kids’ safety,” said Vinnie Branch, the bystander. “I just wanted to make sure they were safe, and I just went into mom mode to protect them.”
“I think it looks a lot worse than it turned out to be,” said Brian Haravan, Pittsburgh EMS District Chief. “Thankfully, the utility pole wasn’t damaged, so while the school bus and property were, everyone else seemed ok.”
The driver of the bus was taken to the hospital for evaluation, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.
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