Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers fall short in QB’s reunion with Green Bay as Love leads 35-25 win

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jordan Love passed for 360 yards and three touchdowns to outduel former mentor Aaron Rodgers as the Green Bay Packers raced past the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-25 on Sunday night.

The 41-year-old Rodgers, who won four MVPs and a Super Bowl in 18 seasons with the Packers before the team moved on to Love in 2023, completed 24 of 36 passes for 219 yards and two scores but did little in the second half as the Steelers (4-3) dropped their second straight.

Drafted in 2020 to be Rodgers’ eventual successor before being elevated to the starter three years later, Love put together a near-flawless second half as Green Bay (5-1-1) stayed atop the NFC North.

The 27-year-old Love, who credits Rodgers for playing a pivotal role in his development, did a solid impression of Rodgers in his prime, particularly after halftime. Love completed his first 16 passes after the break, two of them for scores, as the Packers erased a nine-point deficit to win at Pittsburgh for the first time since 1970.

Tight end Tucker Kraft caught seven passes for a career-high 143 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Jacobs ran for just 33 yards, but his 3-yard scoring sprint on the first play of the fourth quarter put the Packers up for good as Pittsburgh’s defense stumbled yet again, nine days after being carved up by Joe Flacco at Cincinnati.

Wearing throwback jerseys in 1933 — when the club was known as the Pirates — the Steelers turned back the clock in a way that felt less like nostalgia and more like “here we go again.”

Given an opportunity to strengthen its hold on the underwhelming AFC North, Pittsburgh instead saw the NFL’s highest-paid defense struggle to keep Love and the Packers in check. The Steelers allowed 454 yards and failed to create a turnover for the third straight contest.

Rodgers said repeatedly that he wasn’t against his old team, and he plans to one day retire in the town where he cemented his status as a future Hall of Famer.

There was a loud pop from the Acrisure Stadium crowd when Rodgers was introduced, including from the not insignificant number of Green Bay fans who made their way inside.

Though there was the occasional flash from Rodgers, who has played well during Pittsburgh’s respectable start, the Steelers too often saw drives bog down once they crossed midfield. While Chris Boswell bailed them out by booting four field goals, it wasn’t enough to keep pace with Green Bay once Love got rolling.

The Packers scored on five straight possessions after the Steelers went up 16-7. Love connected with Savion Williams on an 8-yard score to pull Green Bay within two.

Jacobs’ touchdown gave the Packers the lead for good. After Micah Parsons sacked Rodgers to thwart Pittsburgh’s ensuing drive, Kraft hauled in his second score on a 24-yard catch-and-run in which the 260-pounder had no trouble weaving his way through Pittsburgh’s injury-marred secondary.

By the end, Rodgers and the Steelers were trying to play catch-up while Rodgers heard the familiar chant of “Go Pack Go,” only to find himself on the wrong side of it for the first time in his 21 years in the league.

Injuries

Packers: Linebacker Nick Niemann left in the second half with a chest injury.

Steelers: Defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale left with a knee injury in the second quarter. Safety DeShon Elliott exited in the third quarter with a potentially serious right knee injury. Left guard Isaac Seumalo went down with a chest injury and didn’t return.