The Pittsburgh Steelers moved to 6-3 as their defense and run game led them to a 23-10 win at Acrisure Stadium over the Green Bay Packers.
The Steelers started with the ball, and after picking up a few early first downs, they got another on 3rd and 3 when QB Kenny Pickett’s pass downfield to WR Diontae Johnson was flagged for defensive pass interference against Green Bay rookie CB Carrington Valentine.
After the penalty, Pittsburgh had the ball at the Green Bay 28, and a 12-yard run and six-yard reception by RB Jaylen Warren moved Pittsburgh down to the Green Bay 10. They moved to the 4-yard line on a six-yard run by RB Najee Harris, and Harris punched it into the end zone on the next play. K Chris Boswell’s extra point gave the Steelers a 7-0 lead with 10:01 left in the first quarter. It was the second week in a row the Steelers scored an opening-drive touchdown.
Green Bay’s first drive began on its own 31. The Packers kept their drive alive on 3rd and 3 when QB Jordan Love hit WR Christian Watson for a 14-yard gain down to the Pittsburgh 48. Two plays later, Love had all day to throw and hit WR Dontayvion Wicks for a 23-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 22. A first-down run by AJ Dillon got Green Bay to the Pittsburgh 11, but they found themselves in a 3rd-and-7 situation. The Steelers couldn’t get a stop though, as Love found WR Romeo Doubs in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, and the game was tied up at 7-7 with 4:42 left in the first quarter.
An illegal procedure on the ensuing kickoff gave the Steelers good field position at their own 40, and Pittsburgh picked up a first down on some variation of a tush push on 3rd and 1. On 1st and 10 from the 50, Warren ran for nine yards and then Pickett appeared to be intercepted by CB Keisean Nixon but the ruling on the field was reversed and Pittsburgh retained possession. On 3rd and 1, Harris ran for 11 yards and a first down, and on 3rd and 3 Warren picked up another on a short reception on the final play of the first quarter.
Nixon was flagged for defensive holding to give Pittsburgh another first down later in the drive, and on the next play Warren ran for a 16-yard touchdown to put Pittsburgh up 14-7 after Boswell’s extra point.
Green Bay went three-and-out on its second drive of the game, and the Steelers took over at their own 46 after a punt return by WR Calvin Austin III. Pickett was sacked on the first play but an illegal contact penalty against S Jonathan Owens negated the sack and gave the Steelers another five yards. After a failed third-down tush push, the Steelers went for it on fourth down and Warren picked it up with an eight-yard gain.
Pickett got sacked on first down, and on 3rd and 14, his 12-yard completion to TE Connor Heyward fell short of the sticks for a first down. Boswell came out and nailed a 42-yard field goal to put Pittsburgh up 17-7 with 8:08 left in the first half.
CB Joey Porter Jr. was flagged for defensive pass interference on the first play of Green Bay’s next drive, giving the Packers a seven-yard gain and a new set of downs. On 1st and 10 from the Green Bay 31 a few plays later, Dillon ran for 40 yards and a first down to the Pittsburgh 29, but on the next play DL Keeanu Benton and OLB T.J. Watt combined to sack Watt. On 3rd and 16, Love went deep and hit rookie WR Jayden Reed for a 35-yard touchdown and the Steelers’ lead was cut to 17-13 with 4:14 left after CB Patrick Peterson blocked K Anders Carlson’s extra point.
The Steelers went three-and-out on their next drive and P Pressley Harvin III got his first action of the game. He punted 50 yards to the Green Bay 34, and it was returned to the Green Bay 46. The Packers followed that up with a three-and-out of their own, and the Steelers took over at their own 9-yard line.
A 17-yard gain by WR Diontae Johnson was followed by a 12-yard gain by WR George Pickens right before the two-minute warning. But the Steelers’ drive ended in a punt. The Packers took over with 1:20 left in the half but ran just two plays before the half ended.
Nixon returned the opening kickoff of the second half 49 yards to the Pittsburgh 44, and the Packers came out on fourth down and went for it on 4th and 6. Love completed a pass to RB Aaron Jones for seven yards and a first down. On 3rd and 3 a few plays later, it was Jones again converting with a 12-yard reception down to the Pittsburgh 14. Green Bay had to settle for a field goal though, and Carlson hit from 31 yards to cut the Steelers lead to 17-16 with 9:08 left in the third quarter.
A holding penalty by center Mason Cole on 2nd and 7 put the Steelers in a rough 2nd and 18 spot during their next drive, and that became 3rd and 18 after an incompletion. Pittsburgh ended up punting, and Green Bay took over at its own 22 yard-line.
On 2nd and 6, Love threw a dart to Doubs for 20 yards and a first down. On 3rd and 7 from the Green Bay 49 a few plays later, Love went down the seam to TE Luke Musgrave for a 36-yard gain, which set the Packers up at the Pittsburgh 15. Green Bay would settle for another field goal, and Carlson was good from 28 yards to put Green Bay up 19-17.
Pittsburgh got the ball back with 2:56 in the third quarter, and on the first play of their drive Pickens had a 28-yard reception to the Green Bay 38. The Steelers would get to the Green Bay 31, but Pickett was incomplete on 3rd and 3. Boswell nailed a 49-yard field goal to put the Steelers back up, 20-19, with 1:05 left in the third quarter.
Green Bay went backward on its ensuing drive, punting on 4th and 16. The Steelers took over with a one-point lead with 14:06 left in the fourth quarter. On second down, Harris ran for 24 yards and a first down to the Green Bay 48. But the drive stalled, and the Packers took over deep in their own territory at their own 9 with 11:45 left in the game.
The Packers picked up one first down before they were forced to punt, with Pittsburgh taking over at its own 34 with 9:24 left. Warren ran for 11 yards and a first down on the opening play of the drive, and then three plays later he ran for 20 yards and another first down. The Steelers would settle for a 35-yard Boswell field goal on the drive to go up 23-19.
Green Bay got to work on its next drive, with Musgrave pulling in a 28-yard reception on the first play of the drive. Love hit Wicks for a 32-yard gain later in the drive. But two plays later, Love threw a pick in the end zone, tipped by CB Patrick Peterson and intercepted by S Keanu Neal. Neal returned it to the Pittsburgh 24, where Pittsburgh took over still holding onto a four-point lead with 3:20 left in the game.
On 3rd and 6 after two Harris runs to open the drive, Pickett scrambled for 11 yards down to the Pittsburgh 39, and the Packers had to burn their first timeout. On 3rd and 9 with a chance to end the game, Pickett hit Pickens for a game-winning first down, but WR Calvin Austin III was called for offensive pass interference and the Steelers ran the ball on 3rd and 19. They punted with 1:09 left and with 59 seconds to play, the Packers took over at their own 19.
On the first play of the drive, Love hit WR Jayden Reed for 46 yards, with S Trenton Thompson in the game in place the injured Neal. Green Bay had it with 51 seconds at the Pittsburgh 35 and advanced to the 28 with 22 seconds left after a Love scramble. On 3rd and 3, OLB Alex Highsmith wrapped up Love and almost brought him down but the pass was incomplete, so the Packers had one more play to try and keep their hopes alive.
The Packers picked up a first down in the middle of the field, so they had to spike the ball, which they did with three seconds left. On the final play of the game, Love was picked off by Kazee. Kazee took a late hit on the sideline, which led to some pushing and shoving between both teams along the sideline, but the Steelers escaped with a 23-19 win.
Pittsburgh moves to 6-3 on the season and will head to Cleveland to take on the Browns next week.
