Aaron Rodgers will take on his former team for the first time when the Steelers host the Packers
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Green Bay (4-1-1) at Pittsburgh (4-2)
Day/Time/TV: Sunday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, NBC
Against the spread: Packers 2-4; Steelers 3-3
Series record: Packers lead 20-17.
Last meeting: Steelers beat Packers 23-19 on Nov. 12, 2023.
Last week: Packers beat Cardinals 27-23; Steelers lost to Bengals 33-31.
Packers offense: overall (14), rush (15), pass (12), scoring (7)
Packers defense: overall (6), rush (2), pass (15), scoring (10)
Steelers offense: overall (25), rush (26), pass (19), scoring (11)
Steelers defense: overall (19), rush (17), pass (31), scoring (28)
Turnover differential: Packers even. Steelers plus-5.
Aaron Rodgers knew this game might be coming five years ago. Maybe it’s why he appears to be at peace with what will be the very jarring visual of the four-time MVP standing on one side of the line of scrimmage and the team he long defined being on the other when Pittsburgh (4-2) hosts Green Bay (4-1-1) on Sunday night. Asked this week if his first-ever meeting with the Packers was about revenge, Rodgers simply shook his head. “What do I got to be avenging here?” Rodgers said this week, 2½ years after his remarkably successful run with Green Bay ended with a trade to the New York Jets so the Packers could hand the keys to the franchise to Jordan Love. “They made me a ton of money. I grew up there, spent some of the best years of my life there. I’ve got nothing but love for the organization.” And nothing but love for the man who replaced him.
The moment NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Love’s name near the end of the first round of the 2020 draft, Rodgers understood his time in Green Bay was on the clock. In a perfect world, Rodgers would have guided the Packers to another Super Bowl title and headed off into the California sunset while gracefully ceding the spotlight to Love. Yet Rodgers learned long ago that things rarely wrap up so tidily. And they didn’t. While Rodgers fended Love off for three years — a third and fourth MVP season helped — by early 2023, Love looked ready to take over, and the Packers were ready to move on. Somewhat begrudgingly, so was the quarterback who helped bring “Titletown, USA” its fourth Super Bowl.
So no, Rodgers is not bitter. If he were, why has he stayed in contact with Love since his departure? The two swapped texts last week, exchanging notes on what they’ve seen from common opponents. Their “student/teacher” dynamic has been replaced by something that sounds an awful lot like friendship. “(Love is) one of the real good guys in the league,” Rodgers said. “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.”
All words that have been used to describe Rodgers through the years. There is a symmetry to that, and maybe that’s the point. While Love was initially wary when he arrived in Green Bay, knowing his job was to eventually replace a future Hall of Famer, there was never the edginess that defined the relationship between Rodgers and Brett Favre, whom Rodgers replaced in 2008 much in the same way Love took over for him 15 years later. “I’ve got a lot of respect for how he handled it, the way he went about me coming in and like I said before, he welcomed me with open arms,” Love said.
Those arms have remained open through the years. Yes, Rodgers is enjoying his time in Pittsburgh. Yet he knows there is only one team he will be forever associated with. And it’s not the one he’ll be playing for under the prime-time lights this week. “Regardless of when I hang it up, that’s the bulk of my career,” Rodgers said, “I’ll retire a Packer and see what happens after that.”
Surging Jacobs
Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs has scored two touchdowns in each of his past three games. He did it despite dealing with a calf injury Sunday at Arizona and an illness that had him vomiting during a victory over the Bengals a week earlier. The previous Packers player to have multiple touchdown runs in three straight games within the same season was Hall of Famer Jim Taylor in 1961. Now Jacobs faces a Pittsburgh defense smarting after getting pushed around on the ground and lit up in the air by Joe Flacco and company last week in Cincinnati. “He plays with a mentality that he’s going to find a way to get it done,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “And that’s what you appreciate so much about him. But it’s not an accident.”
Get on my lawn
The turf at Acrisure Stadium came under fire following Pittsburgh’s victory over Cleveland earlier this month on a track that could be described as shoddy at best. The field typically gets chewed up every season as fall gives way to winter in Western Pennsylvania. It just happened to happen a little earlier than usual. While the surface was replaced recently, Pittsburgh and Green Bay will meet just over 24 hours after the conclusion of Saturday’s game between North Carolina State and the University of Pittsburgh, which also calls Acrisure Stadium home. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is more worried about the state of the field so much as what his team does while it’s on it. “I am not a grass expert,” he said. “I haven’t cut my grass in a long, long time. I coach football. I’m going to stay in my lane. I don’t even know who cuts my grass.”
Havrisik’s side hustle
Lucas Havrisik was thinking of getting a part-time job — perhaps as a substitute teacher — while he was living in Cleveland awaiting kicking opportunities from NFL teams earlier this season. He’s now one heck of a substitute kicker. Havrisik has gone 3 of 3 on field-goal attempts in two games with Green Bay while filling in for Brandon McManus, who is dealing with a quadriceps injury. Havrisik set a Packers record by making a 61-yard field goal at Arizona. While McManus’ status for Sunday remains uncertain, the Packers have reason to feel good about their kicking situation whether or not he’s ready to return.
Packers player to watch
Aaron Rodgers’ first matchup with the Packers after winning four MVPs and a Super Bowl title in Green Bay naturally will put a spotlight on QB Jordan Love, the guy who was selected in the first round of the 2020 draft to eventually take over for him. After waiting behind Rodgers for three years, Love has led Green Bay to playoff berths in each of his first two seasons as the Packers’ starting quarterback. He has completed 69.3% of his passes for 1,438 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions this season.
Steelers player to watch
QB Aaron Rodgers. He spent his first 18 seasons in Green Bay, where he won four MVP awards and led the Packers to their fourth Super Bowl title before making way for current Green Bay starter Jordan Love. The 41-year-old Rodgers is hardly playing like someone in his 21st season in the league. He has 14 touchdown passes through six games, putting him on pace to break Pittsburgh’s single-season touchdown pass mark of 34 set by Ben Roethlisberger in 2018.
Key matchup
Steelers LT Broderick Jones against Packers DE Micah Parsons. Jones, in his first season as the full-time left tackle, took a significant step forward in his development a couple of weeks ago when he helped hold Cleveland star Myles Garrett without a sack. The challenge may be even tougher against Parsons, who appears to be finding his groove after being traded to Green Bay from Dallas on the eve of the regular season. Parsons sacked Arizona’s Jacoby Brissett three times last week in the Packers’ comeback victory.
Key injuries
Packers: DT Devonte Wyatt (knee) and K Brandon McManus (quadriceps) have missed two straight games. DE Lukas Van Ness (foot) didn’t play against Arizona. WR Christian Watson is practicing again as he recovers from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but he still hasn’t made his season debut. WR Jayden Reed (foot/shoulder) will miss a fifth straight game.
Steelers: WR Calvin Austin III is expected to return after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury. S Miles Killebrew, Pittsburgh’s longtime special teams captain, will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury suffered in a victory over Cleveland on Oct. 12.
Series notes
The Packers are seeking to win at Pittsburgh for the first time since a 20-12 triumph way back in 1970. The Packers have lost in each of their past six visits to Pittsburgh (in 1980, 1986, 1998, 2009, 2017 and 2023). Green Bay’s road losing streak in this series doesn’t include the Packers’ 31-25 neutral site Super Bowl victory over the Steelers on Feb. 6, 2011, at Arlington, Texas. Rodgers was Green Bay’s quarterback in that game… The previous time these two teams meet, Jaylen Warren rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers won 23-19 in Pittsburgh. Love threw for 289 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in that game… The Steelers have won three of their past four and six of their past eight overall matchups with the Packers.
Stats and stuff
The Packers are unbeaten in their past three games and can strengthen their tenuous hold on first place in the NFC North with a victory. The Steelers are atop the AFC North but are smarting after being lit up by Joe Flacco and Cincinnati in a prime-time loss to the Bengals… Love has a 121.1 passer rating in Sunday night games. The only quarterback who has a better career Sunday night passer rating with at least 100 pass attempts since 2000 is Drew Brees… The Packers are 20-10 against AFC teams during Matt LaFleur’s coaching tenure. The only NFC team with a better record against AFC teams during that stretch is Seattle (21-10)… The Packers are averaging an NFL-leading 5.82 yards per pass attempt. That represents Green Bay’s highest average through the first six games of a season since 2000… The Packers are coming off a six-sack performance at Arizona… RB Josh Jacobs has scored two touchdowns in three straight games. He’s the first Packer to have multiple touchdown runs in three straight games within the same season since Jim Taylor did it in 1961. Jacobs has eight touchdown runs this season to rank second in the NFL entering Week 8 to Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor, who has 10. ... Parsons and Packers DE Rashan Gary each have 5½ sacks this season, putting them in a tie for sixth place in the NFL entering Week 8. The only other teammates who each have at least five sacks this season are Denver’s Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper… According to Next Gen Stats, Parsons has an NFL-leading 41 quarterback pressures entering Week 8… Packers CB Keisean Nixon has 10 passes defensed, putting him in a tie for second in the league to Cincinnati’s D.J. Turner (13)… Packers K Lucas Havrisik kicked the longest field goal in franchise history — a 61-yarder — while filling in for the injured McManus against Arizona. Havrisik is 3 of 3 on field-goal attempts in the two games he has played this season… As bad as the Steelers have been in road games on Thursdays, where they have dropped 10 of 11, they’ve been nearly as good at home on Sunday nights. Pittsburgh is 56-20 at home on Sunday nights, and its .757 winning percentage under the lights is best in the NFL since the AFL-NFL merger… The Steelers have also been solid the week following a Thursday night appearance. Pittsburgh is 19-10 on nine days’ rest, including a pair of home wins against the Packers in 2017 and 2023… Pittsburgh will be wearing throwback jerseys meant to evoke the club’s inaugural team in 1933. The Steelers will don gold helmets and jerseys replete with black stripes and a patch featuring Pittsburgh’s city crest. The Steelers are 24-8 when wearing alternate uniforms since 2007… Rodgers can become the fifth quarterback to beat all 32 NFL teams with a victory, joining Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning… Steelers RB Jaylen Warren is coming off a season-high 127 yards rushing but could find the going more difficult against the NFL’s second-ranked run defense… Longtime Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward will play in his 218th regular-season game, moving past Hines Ward and into third place on the club’s career list behind Ben Roethlisberger (249) and Hall of Fame center Mike Webster (220)… The Packers didn’t commit any turnovers Sunday and have only three all season… The Packers are 5 of 7 in fourth down conversion attempts. They went 2 of 3 in those situations Sunday, and Love’s 15-yard completion to Tucker Kraft on fourth-and-2 from the Arizona 29 led to the go-ahead touchdown… Green Bay sacked Brissett six timesThe Packers didn’t commit any turnovers Sunday and have only three all season… The Packers are 5 of 7 in fourth down conversion attempts. They went 2 of 3 in those situations Sunday, and Love’s 15-yard completion to Tucker Kraft on fourth-and-2 from the Arizona 29 led to the go-ahead touchdown… Green Bay sacked Brissett six timesThe Packers didn’t commit any turnovers Sunday and have only three all season… The Packers are 5 of 7 in fourth down conversion attempts. They went 2 of 3 in those situations Sunday, and Love’s 15-yard completion to Tucker Kraft on fourth-and-2 from the Arizona 29 led to the go-ahead touchdown… Green Bay sacked Brissett six times… The Packers didn’t commit any turnovers Sunday and have only three all season… The Packers are 5 of 7 in fourth down conversion attempts. They went 2 of 3 in those situations Sunday, and Love’s 15-yard completion to Tucker Kraft on fourth-and-2 from the Arizona 29 led to the go-ahead touchdown… Green Bay sacked Brissett six times… The Packers were penalized 10 times for 94 yards. Green Bay is committing 8.3 penalties per game, more than any team other than Denver, Chicago and Jacksonville entering Monday… DE Micah Parsons had a career-high three sacks… RB Josh Jacobs had his third straight two-touchdown performance despite dealing with a calf injury that made him a game-time decision… K Lucas Havrisik set a franchise record with a 61-yard field goal just before halftime… LB Quay Walker had a team-high nine tackles to go along with 1½ sacks. It was his first career game with more than one sack… Guard Sean Rhyan didn’t play any offensive snaps Sunday as 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan continued his takeover of the starting spot at right guard. Rhyan started all 17 games last season and the first four games this season, but Morgan has been the starter at right guard the past two games. Rhyan had played 11 offensive snaps Oct. 12 in a 27-18 win over the Bengals… The Packers have scored exactly 27 points in each of their four wins this season… The Sunday night visit to Pittsburgh caps a five-game stretch in which the Packers are playing four on the road.
