Tim Benz: Aaron Rodgers vs. Green Bay is the main story, Steelers' defense vs. itself is quite a subplot

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf hasn’t noticed anything all that different about quarterback Aaron Rodgers so far this week.

That’s despite the fact that the Steelers are hosting the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. That’s the franchise that Rodgers quarterbacked for the first 18 years of his NFL career.

“He’s coming to work just like any other week,” Metcalf insisted.

Like Metcalf, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t expecting the emotion of the week to alter Rodgers’ approach.

“I haven’t been with him for a long time, but he’s been fired up every single week,” Tomlin said. “I imagine it’s going to be the same. I imagine some external things are going to make more out of it than it is for him. He’s playing, and playing to win. That’s what he does.”

Rodgers has already faced a former team once this year. He helped the Steelers beat the New York Jets, 34-32, in Week 1. Following that game, Rodgers said he was “happy to beat everyone associated with the Jets.”

That underlying distaste doesn’t seem to be present with Rodgers this time around. Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Rodgers waxed nostalgic about his 18 years in Wisconsin, reminiscing about everyone he could name, including trainers, equipment guys, nutritionists and team photographers.

“I have a lot of great memories from my time (in Green Bay). A lot of great interactions with fans over the years,” Rodgers said. “I grew up there. I spent 18 years there — (ages) 21 to 39. So I’m thankful for my time there. Obviously, I would have loved to ride off into the sunset after a Super Bowl win, but that’s not the way the league goes sometimes.”

However Rodgers internalizes facing the Packers for the first time is his own business. His emotions are going to be whatever they are going to be. If how he channeled those emotions against the Jets is any indication of what we can expect Sunday night, that’s a good thing for the Steelers.

Rodgers completed 22 of 30 passes for 244 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions at MetLife Stadium in the season opener. Anything resembling that effort against the Packers would go a long way toward improving the Steelers’ record to 5-2.

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How Pittsburgh fans and media are perceiving this game, though, is a different matter entirely. It feels like only now are fans around town allowing themselves to sink their teeth into the Rodgers-Packers reunion angle.

And only moderately at that.

For the most part, it feels like Pittsburghers are still hung up on what happened to the Steelers’ defense Thursday night.

Can you blame ’em? It was a little early to watch a Halloween slasher movie. But what Joe Flacco, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase did in Cincinnati to the Steelers on that side of the ball put Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers to shame.

Despite the 33-31 loss, Rodgers was good. He went 23 of 34 for 249 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions (one of which wasn’t really on his shoulders).

Had the Steelers won that game against the (then) 2-4 Bengals, we’d be talking about a 5-1 team with a huge lead in the division on a four-game win streak. Embracing the “Sunday Night Football” hype of Rodgers dueling it out against his former club would be top of mind.

Now, however, most conversations seem to be about how Tomlin and coordinator Teryl Austin can shore up the run defense, get more snaps for Nick Herbig and figure out how to cover better in the secondary.

As juicy a headline as it may be in Green Bay and the rest of the country, “Rodgers vs. the Packers” in Pittsburgh seems to be a secondary storyline to “The Steelers defense vs. itself.”

Oh, and in Sunday’s case, vs. Rodgers’ successor, Jordan Love.

“I enjoyed my time with him. I’m not surprised by how he’s playing. He’s playing great,” Rodgers said.

“Really happy for him. He’s one of the real good guys in the league. I’m sure his leadership has continued to grow over there, but I like the way he’s playing. He’s super accurate. He’s taking care of the football. He’s been opportunistic, making great throws down the field and using his legs as well.”

Win or lose, when Pittsburgh wakes up Monday morning, the first topic of conversation will be about how Rodgers did against his old team.

For the following six days, though, the discussion will likely be about how the Steelers’ defense either rebounded from the Cincinnati debacle or got worse against Love and the Packers’ offense.

As it should be — especially with three conference games against the Colts, Chargers and Bengals (again) on the horizon.

I’ve lost track of how many “Friday the 13th” movies there have been. But the notion of “Steelers vs. Flacco: Chapter 27” has me shaking in my boots much more than I ever did watching Jason trudge around Camp Crystal Lake.

If I’m going to be scared by someone in a goalie mask, I’ll watch Tristan Jarry highlights from last year.

Rodgers never played for Indy, L.A. or Cincinnati. As a result, over the next three weeks, we won’t have a comfy Rodgers-related storyline to offset the hand-wringing over how the defense is playing.

The schedule isn’t going to change. Neither will Rodgers’ personal history. But hopefully the defense’s performance will.