Sunday night’s game against the Steelers was important for the Green Bay Packers for several reasons, but none was bigger than Aaron Rodgers’ first appearance against the organization since he was traded in 2023.
Although they struggled out of the gate, the Packers caught fire in the second half, scoring 28 points in route to a 35-25 statement.
Let’s recap the keys to the Packers’ first win in Pittsburgh since 1970.
Mentee Over Mentor
Faced with the challenge of out-performing the man who taught him his craft, Jordan Love stepped up against the Steelers, inserting himself into the MVP conversation in the process.
Love completed twenty-nine of his thirty-seven pass attempts for three hundred and sixty yards and three touchdowns in primetime, which was good for one of the best games of his career.
He had the most yardage of any quarterback against man coverage so far this season, with two hundred and thirty-two yards on seventeen attempts, and at one point, completed twenty passes in a row, matching Brett Favre’s franchise record, which was set in 2007.
The performance marked the sixteenth start in which Love has thrown for multiple passing touchdowns and zero interceptions, and the only player to have more such games in their first forty starts is Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who had nineteen.
As Love approaches his twenty-seventh birthday, which has its own significance in Green Bay Packers lore, there isn’t much better company to keep.
Tucker Kraft Day
Earlier this year, I wrote about the importance of Tucker Kraft to the Green Bay Packers’ offense, and on Sunday night, he showed it again.
In celebration of National Tight Ends’ Day, Kraft had seven receptions on nine targets for a week eight-leading one hundred and forty-three receiving yards, along with a pair of touchdowns to complement Jordan Love’s outstanding outing.
Almost all of his yardage came after the catch, which improved on his NFL-best 11.2 yards after the catch per reception.
Kraft is on pace to dethrone the 49ers’ George Kittle, who averaged 9.9 yards in 2018, for the highest YAC average by a tight end in the last twenty seasons.
Bringing The Juice
One of the Green Bay Packers’ biggest concerns so far this season is their secondary, but the unit got a much-needed boost in Pittsburgh.
Following a disastrous performance by free agent signee Nate Hobbs last week, the Packers elevated Carrington Valentine to the starting lineup, and the move proved fruitful immediately.
Although the stat sheet didn’t necessarily show it, Valentine was pesky, creating multiple incompletions in coverage of the Steelers’ DK Metcalf.
He also brought a certain energy to the position with his playstyle, along with a physicality that Green Bay desperately needs from the room.
After playing only three snaps against Arizona, Valentine played sixty-two of sixty-three possible snaps on Sunday, and Nate Hobbs played only four.
Moving forward, it seems to prudent to keep giving the opportunities to the former seventh round pick.
The Return of 9
After tearing his ACL in week eighteen last season, wide receiver Christian Watson made his return to the field last night, having a huge impact on the game.
Watson had four receptions for eighty-five yards, including a thirty-three yard rainbow in the third quarter, and visibly opened the offense.
Though he’ll likely be incorporated slowly, the threat of Watson’s speed will be critical to the continued development of the Packers’ pass game, and once the entire group is healthy, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
Until then however, Green Bay will reap the benefits of another, rather unappreciated facet of Watson’s game, his run-blocking acumen.
The former North Dakota State standout was up-field on several key players for the Packers, blocking for both his running backs and fellow pass catchers, and in a year in which Green Bay’s rushing attack has struggled at times, Watson’s return could be a tide-turner.
A Chapter Closed
Green Bay’s triumph over the Rodgers-led Steelers officially closed a chapter in Packers history, but this year’s team still has a ways to go in terms of writing their own.
The primetime win moved the Green Bay Packers to 5-1-1, maintaining their position atop both the NFC North and the conference as a whole, and earning that win on the road against a talented team showcased their resilience.
After trailing by nine points at halftime, Green Bay won by ten, thanks in part to another great showing by the fans, who induced a silent count for the second straight week.
In week nine, the Packers will face the 4-4 Panthers, who may be without starting quarterback Bryce Young.
Despite their record, I believe that Carolina could be more feisty than anticipated, especially if Young can play, which means that the Packers can’t step off the brakes.
The team will take the field at Lambeau dawning the new 1923 alternates, and hopefully, they’ll play like their counterparts did.
The post A Torch Passed: Love Cements His Status in Packers’ Big Win first appeared on PackersTalk.com Blog Posts and Podcasts.