The Pittsburgh Steelers are back under the primetime lights for the second straight week, this time hosting the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium. After an embarrassing loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh is desperate to bounce back, especially with tough matchups against the Colts and Chargers coming up. A loss Sunday could trigger a rough slide, turning a 4-2 record into 4-4 or even 4-5 in a hurry.
This matchup brings plenty of intrigue as Aaron Rodgers faces his former team for the first time. With a win, Rodgers would become one of the few quarterbacks to have beaten all 32 NFL teams, marking a milestone moment against the franchise that drafted him.
The Packers are one of the more complete teams in the league, and for the Steelers to get back on track, here are the three keys to a primetime victory.
3 keys for Pittsburgh Steelers to win on Sunday Night Football
Pittsburgh needs a plan to counter the Packers’ short passing game
Last week, Joe Flacco carved up the Steelers with ease, connecting repeatedly with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. No matter what the Steelers tried defensively, they simply could not stop it. Flacco got the ball out quickly, neutralizing Pittsburgh’s pass rush, and the cornerbacks struggled badly in man coverage against Cincinnati’s top targets.
The Steelers brought in Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey specifically to win those kinds of matchups, but against the Bengals, that plan fell apart. After watching that debacle on film, you can bet Jordan Love and the Packers will be eager to test that secondary again. Love already leads the league in completion percentage of throws in 2.5 seconds or less, and Green Bay’s receiving corps is deep with talent.
BUT Jordan Love leads the league in completion % of throws in 2.5 seconds or less.
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) October 21, 2025
He's completing a ridiculous 89.2% of those throws.
Jordan Love is also 3rd in EPA/dropback on quick throws, ahead of Rodgers. https://t.co/k1qzOsbr81
To disrupt the Packers’ quick passing game, the Steelers' cornerbacks have to step up and hold their own in man coverage. If they cannot, this game could look a lot like last week’s disaster. Pittsburgh’s pass defense has been among the worst in the NFL so far, and with aerial-heavy teams like the Colts and Chargers coming up next, the Steelers need a defensive plan that actually works, or things could spiral fast.
Staying balanced and ahead of the chains is crucial for Pittsburgh
The Green Bay defense is a strong unit that currently features the top run defense in the NFL. The Steelers faced a similar challenge against the Browns, who also ranked near the top against the run, yet Pittsburgh still found success on the ground. They also managed to neutralize Myles Garrett with an excellent game plan, and they will need a similar approach this week against Micah Parsons, who is coming off a three-sack performance.
With the Steelers' defense struggling to find consistency, the offense must stay on schedule and operate efficiently once again. Leaning on their heavy packages, which have jump-started the run game and opened up new wrinkles in the passing attack, should remain the foundation of their approach. Wearing down Parsons with the run and timely play-action could create opportunities to attack downfield against a Packers secondary that can be exposed.
Getting Calvin Austin back would be a huge boost, giving the Steelers their full set of offensive weapons for the first time in weeks. If this game turns into a shootout, Pittsburgh will need every playmaker available to keep pace and come away with a much-needed win.
Turnovers will decide the game
The Steelers have not forced a turnover since the Vikings game, and for a defense that feeds on takeaways, that is a major problem. When this unit is not creating turnovers, it struggles to get off the field and control momentum. To win Sunday, taking care of the football will be critical. You cannot beat good teams by giving them extra chances.
This Steelers defense should be playing angry. With the amount of talent on that side of the ball, they are long overdue for a game-changing play. The Packers, however, are one of the best teams in the league at protecting the football, which means whichever team makes the key mistake will likely lose. Aaron Rodgers will need to be sharp and avoid forcing throws, and the rest of the offense must eliminate negative plays.
Pittsburgh’s defense cannot afford to give Green Bay’s offense extra possessions. If they want to come out on top, they need to flip the script, win the turnover battle, and finally create the momentum plays that define this defense at its best.