Live Updates: Packers Lose 23-19 to Steelers
The Green Bay Packers (3-5) are facing the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) at Acrisure Stadium. After a four-game losing streak, can Jordan Love lead the Packers to a second consecutive win? Or will the T.J. Watt-led pass rush be too much to withstand?
Follow along all day for updates.
Final Score
Steelers 23, Packers 19
The Packers needed to go 81 yards in 59 seconds with zero timeouts. They got 46 yards on one play. Jordan Love stepped up in the pocket and Jayden Reed worked free for a gain of 46 to the 35 with 51 seconds to go. On the next play, Love threw a ball to Aaron Jones that had no chance. Jones made matters infinitely worse when he cut the ball to the middle field and was tackled inbounds. Between snaps, 29 seconds ticked away.
Ultimately, it came down to one do-or-die play from the 16. Love was intercepted.
Fourth Quarter
Steelers 23, Packers 19 (59 seconds remaining)
The Packers will get one last chance. Offensive pass interference by Calvin Austin took out Carrington Valentine, nullifying what would have been the clinching third-down conversion. So, moments after what looked like a killer interception, Jordan Love will have 59 seconds and zero timeouts to drive the Packers 81 yards to the winning touchdown.
Steelers 23, Packers 19 (3:20 remaining)
Could Jordan Love get his breakthrough road win? Probably not.
Love made two big-time plays. On the first play of the drive, Luke Musgrave ran a deep corner route and caught a perfect ball from Love for 28. Moments later, Love found Dontayvion Wicks in a hole in the zone for a catch-and-run gain of 32 on third-and-10. So, the Packers were in business for the go-ahead touchdown. However, on second-and-9 from the 14, Christian Watson ran an out-and-up that didn’t fool veteran corner Patrick Peterson. Peterson deflected the ball and safety Keanu Neal grabbed the interception.
Steelers 23, Packers 19 (5:14 remaining)
Well, no different than at Atlanta, Las Vegas and Denver, Jordan Love will have a chance to pull out a road game. Chris Boswell’s 35-yard field goal has made it a four-point game. On third-and-2, De’Vondre Campbell and the defense – prepared for an up-the-middle plunge – ruined Kenny Pickett’s play-action bootleg attempt.
Steelers 20, Packers 19 (9:24 remaining)
The Packers picked up one first down, with Jayden Reed extending the ball to the marker on third-and-2, but couldn’t get another. Jordan Love escaped a sack and extended the play to the right but missed Tucker Kraft on third-and-7.
Steelers 20, Packers 19 (11:45 remaining)
A 24-yard run by Najee Harris through an enormous hole had the Steelers getting close to scoring position. However, Diontae Johnson couldn’t come down with a deep ball against Corey Ballentine. Jayden Reed muffed the punt but he pounced on it at the 9.
The Steelers have failed on their last seven third-down plays.
Steelers 20, Packers 19 (14:06 remaining)
On third-and-11, coach Matt LaFleur dialed up a trick play. Jordan Love threw a backward pass to the left to Dontayvion Wicks, who threw the ball across the field to Aaron Jones. Center Josh Myers and right guard Jon Runyan were out front and Romeo Doubs was there, too, to block. But Jones dropped the ball and the Packers punted.
Third Quarter
Steelers 20, Packers 19 (1:05 remaining)
Green Bay’s first lead of the day lasted 2 minutes. A nice kickoff return and a 28-yard catch by George Pickens put the Steelers into scoring position. The play to Pickens was a great bit of receiver play. Never did Pickens give cornerback Carrington Valentine the slightest inclination that the ball was coming. On third-and-3, a potential 70-yard pick-six by De’Vondre Campbell went through the linebacker’s hands. Chris Boswell booted a 49-yard field goal.
Packers 19, Steelers 17 (3:04 remaining)
Luke Musgrave hadn’t done a thing following a breakout game against the Rams. Until third-and-7, when he streaked down the middle of the field and past safety Elijah Riley for a twisting gain of 36 yards that included 11 yards after the catch. The drive stalled, though. On third-and-6, Love’s pass to Musgrave was jarred loose by linebacker Elandon Roberts. Anders Carlson’s 28-yard field goal gave the Packers the lead.
Steelers 17, Packers 16 (7:10 remaining)
The defense, after a horrible start to the game, has really buckled down. Kenny Clark drew a holding penalty and Rashan Gary had a quarterback hit on a three-and-out possession.
Steelers 17, Packers 16 (9:08 remaining)
Anders Carlson booted a 31-yard field goal, a disappointing ending after Keisean Nixon returned the kickoff 50 yards to Pittsburgh’s 44. Aaron Jones, somewhat of an afterthought in the first half, had a key role on the drive. On fourth-and-6, he made a backpedaling catch for 7. Moments later, on third-and-3, Jones lined up as a slot to the left, motioned into the backfield and flared out to the left for a catch-and-run of 12. One play later, a screen to Jones had a chance but the receiver missed the block. On third-and-9 from the 13, Love and tight end Luke Musgrave weren’t quite on the same page.
Halftime
Steelers 17, Packers 13
Remember that improved run defense? With 48 yards by Najee Harris and 47 by Jaylen Warren, the Steelers have 100 yards. Remember the improved tackling? The Packers missed 11 in the first half, by our count.
But it’s only a one-score game with the Packers set to get the ball to start the second half. Jordan Love is 7-of-13 passing for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Aaron Jones, such a focal point of the offense last week against the Rams, has just six touches.
Second Quarter
Steelers 17, Packers 13 (1:20 remaining)
In a huge play, Corey Ballentine’s sticky coverage forced an incomplete pass on third-and-2 to force a punt. The Packers might not score on the ensuing possession but the stop was huge. Remember, the Packers will get the ball to start the second half.
Steelers 17, Packers 13 (2:38 remaining)
The Packers were set up in prime position to at least pull within one point at halftime. But, starting at their 46, they went three-and-out.
Steelers 17, Packers 13 (3:12 remaining)
How Packers coach Matt lost the challenge on a backward pass is incredible. What is the point of replay if it can't get that play correct? Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was between the 9 and the 10 when he threw the ball. At best, running back Jaylen Warren was at the 9 when he dropped the ball. The Packers got the ball on a three-and-out punt, anyway, but at the loss of about 50 yards of field position.
Steelers 17, Packers 13 (4:14 remaining)
The Jordan Love experience was on full display. After throwing too high for Dontayvion Wicks on second-and-16, Love threw a perfect deep ball to Jayden Reed for a 35-yard touchdown. Reed lined up in the right slot and ran a deep over to the left pylon. Reed had a step or two on cornerback Levi Wallace and safety Keanu Neal and made the contested catch. Veteran Patrick Peterson ran around Josiah Deguara to block the extra point. The touchdown was set up by AJ Dillon’s 40-yard run, the longest of his career. Rasheed Walker sealed the edge and Jon Runyan and Zach Tom led the way by pulling left.
Injury update: Steelers LB Kwon Alexander is out.
Steelers 17, Packers 7 (8:08 remaining)
The Packers are shooting themselves in the foot. Repeatedly. Just like the previous drive, a defensive penalty handed the Steelers a cheap first down; this one was illegal contact on safety Jonathan Owens, which eliminated a sack. With three missed tackles, the Packers are up to 10 already. Preston Smith’s sack on first down finally slowed the Steelers, and they settled for Chris Boswell’s 42-yard field goal.
It's 97-11 in rushing.
Steelers 14, Packers 7 (14:12 remaining)
Would Christian Watson have picked up a third-and-8 had he cleanly caught the ball? We’ll never know, because Watson dropped an easy pass. After a three-and-out punt, the Steelers will take possession at their 46 after starting at their 40 on their previous possession.
Steelers 14, Packers 7 (14:12 remaining)
Earlier in this story, we referenced one of the keys to the game: tackling. The Packers’ tackling has been nothing short of horrendous. By our count, the Packers have missed seven in the opening two series. On a 16-yard touchdown run by Jaylen Warren, Warren turned a gain of 4 into six points by running through tackles by Carrington Valentine and Rudy Ford. The Steelers converted three third-and-shorts on the series and are up to 77 rushing yards.
First Quarter
Packers 7, Steelers 7 (4:42 remaining)
In first-quarter scoring, the Steelers entered the game ranked 27th and the Packers 30th. Naturally, both drove to opening touchdowns. On third-and-7 from the 8, Jordan Love threw one of his best balls over the season for the touchdown to Romeo Doubs. Doubs ran a corner route and Love dropped the ball over veteran cornerback Levi Wallace. Doubs made an excellent catch in getting both feet inbounds. Love was 5-of-6 on the drive. He also converted a third-and-3 with a tight-window completion of 14 to Christian Watson.
Steelers 7, Packers 0 (10:01 remaining)
Well, that was easy. The Steelers have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, especially in the first half, but they waltzed straight downfield on a 75-yard touchdown on the drive. Najee Harris walked in from 4 yards for the touchdown. The Steelers let Kenny Clark charge upfield and straight out of the play. The rest of the defenders were blocked with ease. The key play came on third-and-3, with Diontae Johnson getting behind Carrington Valentine and gaining 17 yards on pass interference.
It's Packers at Steelers on Sunday.
Photo by Philip G. Pavely/USA Today Sports Images
Tale of Two Halves for Packers
It doesn’t get more stark than this: The Packers are last in the NFL with 4.5 points per game in the first half. They are first in the NFL with 15.5 points per game in the second half.
The scoring is reflected in the numbers of quarterback Jordan Love. In the first half, he’s completed only 56.4 percent of his passes with a 67.0 passer rating. Those figures rank third- and second-to-last. In the second half, those numbers improve to 62.0 percent and a 92.8 rating. Last week, Love threw 13 passes in the second half. His only incompletion was a throwaway.
Is that a sign of a young quarterback and young pass-catching group digesting what they just saw and adjusting?
Neither Love nor coach Matt LaFleur would go that far.
“I think it’s a little bit of everything,” Love said. “I think we do come in and make some good adjustments at halftime and get a better feel for what they’re doing to us and things like that. That’s the trick, trying to figure out what the difference is in the first half to second half because, obviously, we’ve been a much better offense in the second half. I think we’ve just got to focus on doing a better job starting the game the way we finish the game. But I can’t really put a finger on it.”
It won’t be easy again the Steelers, who are allowing just 3.9 points per game in the fourth quarter.
Who’s Starting at Left Tackle?
In a bit of a surprise, it will be Rasheed Walker rather than Yosh Nijman starting at left tackle. That’s how they lined up for pregame warmups.
Walker was benched in favor of Nijman during the Week 8 loss to Minnesota. In Week 9, Nijman made his first start of the season last week against the Rams but sat out the second half after his back got “twisted.” He was questionable on the injury report, which might have been the determining factor.
Playing almost exactly four times as many snaps as Nijman, Walker has allowed three sacks and 15 total pressures, according to PFF, compared to one sack and two pressures for Nijman.
With Rudy Ford back after missing last week with a calf injury, he will join Jonathan Owens as the starting safeties.
Packers at Steelers: Inactives
As expected, cornerback Jaire Alexander and linebacker Quay Walker are out for the Packers. However, all five players who were questionable – including defensive tackle Kenny Clark – are active.
Here’s the full report, including the Steelers losing some starters, as well.
The pregame vantage point in Pittsburgh.
Photo by Noah Strackbein/For Packer Central
Tackling Will Be Key for Packers
A big reason why the Packers snapped their four-game losing streak by allowing just three points against the Rams was the defense’s superb tackling.
According to our own charting as well as Pro Football Focus, the Packers missed only two tackles. That was their best performance of the season. You might not have guessed it, but the Packers have the seventh-best tackling percentage in the league, according to SportRadar.
It’s not just the efficiency of getting ball-carriers to the turf but the abundance of defenders in pursuit that has impressed coach Matt LaFleur.
With that, he said, “I would say you’re going to have a much better probability of getting the runner or whoever’s got the ball in their hand on the ground. I think that’s one of the things. We’ve definitely looked a little more aggressive in terms of our play style, and I think that’s the mark of a good defense. You have to have that.
“Eleven hats to the ball, flying around, and just being aggressive in what you see, trusting what you see. When you see it, you go attack. I think our guys have embraced that.”
In that regard, the Packers will have their hands full against the Steelers’ backfield tandem of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
Among all running backs, according to PFF, Harris ranks 15th with 20 missed tackles on running plays. Warren isn’t far behind with 18. All of Green Bay’s running backs combined have forced 16 missed tackles.
As receivers, Warren has forced 14 missed tackles and Harris has forced nine; those numbers rank second and ninth among all backs. All of Green Bay’s pass-catchers have forced 16 missed tackles.
For Valentine, Ballentine, It’s Starting Time
Corey Ballentine could start today for the Packers.
Photo by Tork Mason/USA Today Sports Images
With Jaire Alexander sidelined by a shoulder injury, the Packers are expected to start Carrington Valentine and Corey Ballentine at corner. Valentine was a standout vs. the Rams. Ballentine, meanwhile, hasn’t started a game since Week 2 of the 2020 season, when he was a second-year player with the Giants.
From Week 8 of the 2020 season with the Giants, through stints with the Jets in 2020, Lions in 2021 and Cardinals in 2022, Ballentine didn’t play a single snap on defense. In fact, he went more than two calendar years before playing four defensive snaps for the Packers against Dallas in Week 10 of 2022.
Beaten out by Valentine for a roster spot, Ballentine opened this season on the practice squad. He didn’t play the first two games, then played a total of 80 snaps in Week 3 against the Saints and Week 4 against the Lions. He hasn’t played a single snap on defense since replacing Valentine against Detroit.
“He’s done a great job,” LaFleur said. “What I love about him is no matter what the situation, he’s going to go out there and compete to the best of his ability. That’s all you really can ask of anybody. There were a couple plays in that New Orleans game that stand out in my mind where he made plays on the ball. He does a great job every day in practice, so that gives us a lot of confidence in him.”
Ballentine is one of the captains this week.
McDuffie Gets Another Start
In the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, general manager Brian Gutekunst used a first-round pick on linebacker Quay Walker. The hope was pairing All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell with Walker would give the Packers a super-tandem not unlike the Buccaneers’ dominant duo of Devin White and Lavonte David.
That hasn’t quite been the case. Campbell missed almost four full games with an ankle injury early in the season and Walker will miss a second consecutive game with a groin injury.
That means Isaiah McDuffie, a sixth-round pick in 2021, will be starting for the fifth time in six games.
McDuffie’s not the all-around presence of Walker and Campbell – Eric Wilson will replace him in some obvious passing situations – but he’s third on the team with 43 tackles and fifth with three tackles for losses. After 10-tackle games against the Raiders and Broncos, he had seven tackles and two TFLs last week against the Rams. He had only one TFL in his career before last week.
“When he was a rookie, I was like, ‘Oh, boy, he’s got a long way to go,’” defensive coordinator Joe Barry recalled. “What I appreciate is guys that come in and work and chop wood every single day. There was an improvement with him from Year 1 to Year 2, and then there’s been a nice improvement from Year 2 to Year 3.
“No other player [better] exemplifies the fact ‘Hey, you’re a starter in waiting.’ It’s just consistency in his process, the way he works every single day as a pro. To me, that’s been the coolest thing watching him.”
Packers at Steelers: The Vitals
Date and time: noon Sunday at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh.
TV: CBS (Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, Evan Washburn). TV map: Will the game be on TV where you live? Check out the broadcast map from 506 Sports.
Stream: fuboTV offers more than 100 channels and a free trial.
Radio: Packers Radio Network (Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren), Sports USA Radio (Josh Appel and Brandon Noble) and SiriusXM 132, 385 or SiriusXM.us/PackersSXM
Betting line: Steelers by 3.5 points at SI Sportsbook. The total of 38.5 points is the second-lowest on the board.
History lesson: Though they haven’t won in Pittsburgh since 1970. Terry Bradshaw, the No. 1 overall pick of that draft, completed seven passes - three to the Steelers and four to the Packers.
Packers at Steelers: Team Stats
Green Bay on offense ranks 20th in points per game (20.0), 24th in passing per play (6.12) and 19th in rushing per play (4.02). On defense, it ranks 10th in points per game (19.9), ninth in passing per play (6.18) and 13th in rushing per play (3.97). It is 18th in turnovers (minus-2) and 18th in yardage differential (minus-20.1).
Pittsburgh on offense ranks 29th in points per game (16.6), 25th in passing per play (5.74) and 26th in rushing per play (3.73). On defense, it ranks 13th in points per game (20.4), 24th in passing per play (6.93) and 26th in rushing per play (4.49). It is third in turnovers (plus-8) and 31st in yardage differential (minus-98.8).
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