It’s a primetime matchup between two historic franchises in NFL history. It’s the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium.
Oh, and the Steelers are turning back the clock, too, with their 1933 throwback uniforms, which will debut on Sunday Night Football. The Steelers are hoping the uniforms aren’t the only thing turning back the clock in primetime.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers goes up against his old team, where he spent 18 seasons, won a Super Bowl and claimed four NFL MVP awards. With a win, Rodgers will make NFL history by beating all 32 teams in his career, joining a handful of past greats under center.
He says it’s just another game and has no animosity toward the Green Bay organization, but this one has to mean a great deal to Rodgers. Hopefully the rest of the team can rally around him and find a way to win a key game early in the season at the start of a difficult stretch for the Black and Gold.
Following what we did last year here at Steelers Depot, myself, Joe Clark, Ross McCorkle, Scott Brown, Troy Montgomery, Jake Brockhoff and Dr. Melanie Friedlander will answer four key questions weekly, previewing the games.
Let’s talk about the Steelers’ Week 8 Sunday Night Football matchup against the Packers.
QUESTION 1: WHO IS THE STEELERS’ X FACTOR AGAINST THE PACKERS?
Josh Carney: LB Patrick Queen. The Steelers were gashed in the run game last Thursday against the Bengals, and now things will be even more difficult against the Packers and star running back Josh Jacobs. Queen needs to get back to his high level of play from Weeks 4 and 6 when he was flying around making plays. Get off blocks, shut down the run. It starts with Queen in the middle.
Joe Clark:Â DL Keeanu Benton. When the Steelers have struggled against the run, Benton is the main culprit. He struggles to two-gap and is often out of position. If that happens again this week, Josh Jacobs will feast. Benton needs to better.
Ross McCorkle:Â OLB Nick Herbig. He has fresh legs after barely seeing his fair share of snaps last Thursday. Jordan Love doesn’t get rid of the ball nearly as fast as Joe Flacco, so the pass rush should have an opportunity to impact the game. Herbig needs to produce enough as a pass rusher to warrant the small drop off in run defense when Alex Highsmith is off the field, especially against Josh Jacobs. I think he will.
Scott Brown: CB Joey Porter Jr. JPJ can disagree with the officiating all he wants, but until he stops consistently – and maddeningly – grabbing wide receivers, the third-year man will be in the zebras’ crosshairs. Same with opposing quarterbacks. Porter has had this issue going back to Penn State. It’s fair to wonder if he will ever fix it.
Troy Montgomery:Â WR Calvin Austin III. Austin has been out since Week 4 due to a shoulder injury. Before that, he had been having a fine season as the Steelers’ number two receiver. This week, he’s set to return, and he could be a difference maker against the Packers. They have the 15th ranked pass defense in the league, and corner is a weakness on their roster. While DK Metcalf will likely receive a lot of attention, Austin could have some opportunities to make plays.
Jake Brockhoff: OLB Alex Highsmith. There are two big things the Steelers’ defense can do to quiet the Packers’ offense. One is to stop the run, and the other is to get pressure on Jordan Love. Highsmith needs to play well in both these avenues. Josh Jacobs is a good back, and the Packers will likely run away from T.J. Watt, meaning Highsmith needs to stay strong on the other side of the line. And if he can get pressure on Love, it could make a difference as Love doesn’t typically do well dealing with pressure.
Dr. Melanie Friedlander:Â Steelers RB Jaylen Warren. Another week, another game facing a talented run defense. And another game where running the ball effectively is a key factor in the Steelers success. Expect OC Arthur Smith to use the jumbo package again, and hope that Warren can keep racking up YAC.
QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE MATCHUP TO WATCH IN STEELERS-PACKERS?
Josh Carney: Packers TE Tucker Kraft vs. Steelers ILBs. Quietly, Kraft has had a big year and is a key weapon for QB Jordan Love. He has 23 receptions for 326 yards and four touchdowns, averaging nearly 15 yards per catch. The Steelers have had some issues defending tight ends so far this season. Kraft is a good blocker, too, and a key part in the run game.
Joe Clark:Â CB Keisean Nixon vs. WR DK Metcalf. Nixon has ascended to become Green Bay’s top cornerback and he’s had a solid season. But he’s only 5’10, and if the Packers stick with him on DK Metcalf, the Steelers could try and exploit that by throwing to Metcalf. But Metcalf hasn’t been a great contested catch receiver, as we saw last week on the D.J. Turner interception. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.
Ross McCorkle:Â ILB Payton Wilson vs. Packers TEs. DC Teryl Austin doesn’t want to play dime defense because he believes in Payton Wilson’s coverage abilities? Fine, but the statistics haven’t supported that belief thus far. Kraft has been a difference maker, so Wilson has his work cut out for him.
Scott Brown: Aaron Rodgers vs. Broderick Jones. I kid, I kid. Actually Rodgers vs. himself. In his first – and likely only – game against the team with which he spent 18 seasons, Rodgers is going to want to stick it to Green Bay. That’s not the only reason why I’m wondering if he might try to force something that results in a game-changing interception. At what point does Rodgers start to lose faith in a defense that has underwhelmed and think he has to carry the Steelers?
Troy Montgomery:Â CB Jalen Ramsey vs. WR Matthew Golden. Ramsey had a bad time in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He needs to bounce back this week. The Packers have solid depth at receiver, but they don’t have a star like Ja’Marr Chase. Golden was the Packers’ first-round pick this year, and he’s a talented player. Ramsey should make the young receiver have a rough day, though. His struggles shouldn’t continue.
Jake Brockhoff:Â Steelers’ tackles vs. Micah Parsons. Both Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu will have their work cut out for them. Parsons is simply dominant, and he’s coming off a breakout three-sack performance from a week ago. These two held Myles Garrett quiet two weeks ago, and the Steelers need a similar performance against Parsons this week.
Dr. Melanie Friedlander:Â Steelers OL versus Packers DL. The Packers defense has racked up 18 sacks on the season and held opposing offenses to 459 rushing yards and 3.5 yards per carry. The defensive line could also get a boost from the return of DT Devonte Wyatt, who has missed the last two games with a knee injury. He was limited in practice this week and is listed as “questionable” for Sunday. Getting the running game going will be crucial for the Steelers and it all starts with their offensive line. And if the line can give Rodgers time to take advantage of the Packers secondary, even better.
QUESTION 3: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST KEY TO THE GAME FOR THE STEELERS?
Josh Carney: Stop the run, please. Last week, the Steelers had no answers defensively, and it started with the inability to stop the run. They can’t afford that this week against the Packers and Josh Jacobs. Smash the run, force the Packers to be one-dimensional. Jordan Love is a good QB, but I like the Steelers’ chances pinning their ears back getting after him, rather than trying to stop Jacobs.
Joe Clark:Â Pressure the quarterback. The Steelers failed to get much pressure with Joe Flacco getting the ball out quick in Week 7. The Packers have plenty of talent at receiver, and Jordan Love can make the Steelers pay if they aren’t collapsing the pocket.
Ross McCorkle:Â Establish the run. The best way to keep Micah Parsons off balance is to force him to key on the run and avoid third and long passing scenarios. Jaylen Warren has been running really well. They can’t abandon that too early, even if it struggles at the beginning of the game.
Scott Brown: Turning back the clock. The Steelers’ historic defense looked prehistoric (credit for the prehistoric to you, Matthew Marczi) in Cincinnati. That came on a short week, and their aging defensive players have had 10 days to get their legs back. Young and old, the Steelers must atone for that awful defensive performance against the Bengals. It starts with smashing the Packers’ running game and making their offense one-dimensional.
Troy Montgomery:Â Let Aaron Rodgers do his thing. The Steelers have run the ball better in recent weeks, but that might not continue against the Packers. They have the second-best run defense in the league. Rodgers already lit up one of his former teams this year. While he feels differently about the Packers compared to the Jets, the Steelers should let him try to repeat that performance.
Jake Brockhoff:Â Good defensive line play. Jacobs has found the end zone eight times this season, and has already run the ball 111 times. He’s a workhorse, one that’s going to pound the Steelers’ defensive line over and over again. If they can stay strong up front against Jacobs, and get pressure on Love, the Packers are going to find it hard to do much of anything offensively.
Dr. Melanie Friedlander:Â It isn’t rocket science. The defense needs to put up a better performance in the trenches and stop the run. Packers running back Josh Jacobs has been playing well, but he is not a Pro Bowler and the Steelers front seven better not make him look like one.
QUESTION 4: WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR STEELERS VS. PACKERS?
Josh Carney: I felt so good about the Steelers’ chances last week against the Bengals. Now? I don’t have a good feel at all right now. I am very worried about the run defense, and I question how this offense creates splash against a very stingy defense. Aaron Rodgers should play well in a big game for him personally, but I have doubts around him. Packers 27, Steelers 20
Joe Clark: Aaron Rodgers will pull out some magic in this game. I don’t trust Pittsburgh’s defense after what happened last week, but the offense is going to do enough to put Pittsburgh over the top. Steelers 30 Packers 27
Ross McCorkle:Â I am almost always the optimist, but I expect the Packers to play copycat to what worked against the Steelers’ defense a week ago. Rodgers will have another good game wasted by a defense that can’t get its act together. Packers 27, Steelers 24
Scott Brown: Hard to trust a team that just tried to cover Ja’Marr Chase like he is Roman Wilson. But there is a reason why I think it’s impossible to bet on the NFL. For most teams, they can look great one week and a six-car pileup the next. The Fightin Tomlins do the opposite of that Sunday night. Steelers 24, Packers 20
Troy Montgomery: After how they played in Week 7, it’s hard for me to pick the Steelers to win this game. The Packers are a good team. However, I’m going to chalk up some of their issues last week to it being a divisional game on a short week. Plus, I think Aaron Rodgers will have some extra motivation to beat the Packers, despite what he’s said. Steelers 27, Packers 24
Jake Brockhoff:Â I was very confident against the Bengals, and certainly am not so confident now. However, while this Packers team has a ton of talent, they’re very beatable. They lost to the 2-5 Cleveland Browns, and just squeezed out a win against the 2-5 Arizona Cardinals last week. The Steelers’ offense is rolling, and if the defense can rebound they should grab a primetime win at home. Steelers 21, Packers 20
Dr. Melanie Friedlander:Â This almost feels like a must-win game for the Steelers, who want to erase the stink of the loss to the Bengals on Thursday Night Football. Here, they again have a primetime game, but this time it is at home on a Sunday night. They have a better track record in that setting. Aaron Rodgers doesn’t need a petty game ball, but the Steelers need to prove that Week 7 was the exception, not the trend. It will still come down to a field goal, of course. Steelers 30 Packers 27
