The Steelers are looking to rebound against Green Bay after a demoralizing loss to the Bengals last week. Here are 4 Packers players to keep an eye on.
The last time the Steelers played the Packers, things couldn’t have been much different. It was November of 2017 and Pittsburgh was rolling, winners of 5 straight on their way to a 13-3 record. The Packers on the other hand were without QB Aaron Rodgers, who missed 9 games in 2017.
The game was much closer than anyone expected, with back-up QB Brett Hundley having a career day and the Packers defense forcing three turnovers. Still, Pittsburgh came away with the victory, and the Packers went on to finish 7-9.
This time it’s the Steelers who are struggling, dropping 2 straight after a promising defeat of the Bills in week 1. Green Bay got embarrassed by the Saints in week 1 but have rebounded to win their next two games, including a thrilling 30-28 win against the 49ers. Combined with continued injury issues and a flailing offense, this game could get ugly for Pittsburgh.
There is no shortage of elite players for the Steelers coaching staff to prepare for, but which players should fans be watching out for?
Steelers must frustrate Aaron Rodgers
If you spend any amount of time on social media, or you are a regular viewer of the Pat McAfee Show, you likely have heard Aaron Rodgers throw heaps of praise on the city of Pittsburgh this week.
Many fans have decided it must mean he wants to play for the Steelers at some point. Others have said he is just trying not to give a struggling team any more reason to want to get after him. As someone who discussed what it may take for him to want to join Pittsburgh, I feel like option B is much more likely.
Hitting Rodgers early and often is exactly what needs to happen if the defense is going to have a chance against this dominant Packers offense. Even at age 37, he is just as dangerous as ever. Just ask San Francisco, who despite leaving just 37 seconds for Rodgers to get the offense into field goal range, could not prevent him from doing just that.
His ability to consistently put the ball in places few QBs have ever been able to, combined with his mastery of HC Matt Lafleur’s offense, makes him a unique challenge for the Pittsburgh defense.
With TJ Watt returning and Alex Highsmith also having a chance to play, the Steelers pass rush should at least be much more effective than it was against Cincinnati. The secondary will need to play better regardless, especially facing Davante Adams. Speaking of him, he is clearly the number one concern on offense for the Steeler’s coaching staff.