How to Watch, Five Things to Watch as Packers Visit Steelers

The Green Bay Packers (4-1-1) will be on primetime for the third time this season to face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) on Sunday. Jordan Love will try to lead the Packers to a second consecutive road victory while Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers look to bounce back after a disappointing division loss at the Bengals last week.

Here is how to watch the game as well as five things to watch for this first-place showdown.

How to Watch Packers-Steelers

Kickoff: 7:20 p.m. Sunday.

TV: The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC, with Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (analyst) in the booth and Melissa Stark on the sideline.

Radio: The game will be broadcast on the 54-station Packers Radio Network, with the longtime broadcasting duo of Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren on the call. Their broadcast also can be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio on Channel 83 or 226 or through the app.

Westwood One will have the national broadcast, with Ryan Radtke (play-by-play) and Mike Golic (analyst) on the call.

Five Things to Watch in Packers-Steelers

1. Josh Jacobs’ Touchdown Streak

After a bit of a slow start to the season, running back Josh Jacobs has caught fire.

Through the last three games, one of which he fought through illness and another in which he was on a snap count due to a calf strain, he has averaged 78 rushing yards per game. In a tie at Dallas entering the bye and a win over Cincinnati coming out of the bye, he averaged 64 receiving yards.

While those numbers are solid, the real focus has been on his scoring. He has scored two rushing touchdowns in each of the last three games. While he is still far from touching Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson’s record-setting eight-game streak of games with multiple rushing touchdowns, Jacobs is the only other player in the last 20 years to have this long of a streak.

Jacobs will have his work cut out for him against a tough Steelers run defense. While they rank 18th in rushing defense with 115.8 yards allowed per game and were exploited by a sputtering Bengals rushing attack last week, they’ve allowed only four rushing touchdowns this season – and none since Week 2.

“He’s one of the most relentless runners I’ve ever seen, especially when he’s down in the red zone,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “He had two runs at the end of the game where he just willed us basically” into the end zone.

Jacobs has looked nearly unstoppable this season when he gets the end zone in his sights, so this Sunday we may finally see what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

2. Jordan Love’s Legs

Jordan Love has had 20-plus rushing yards in the past three games and has picked up eight first downs on the ground this season, showing that he is not afraid to put his body on the line and run for yards when the offense needs it.

Against the Steelers, he may have a tough time gaining yards with his legs. The Steelers allow just 18 rushing yards per game to quarterbacks. The low number partially stems from the fact that they have faced quarterbacks like Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz and Joe Flacco, who aren’t known for their mobility. However, they were able to keep Browns rookie Dillon Gabriel from gaining any yards on the ground; Gabriel was not afraid to run the ball at Oregon.

Love’s recent surge in rushing attempts could be a testament to opposing secondaries, an area in which the Steelers have struggled. Will Love stay in the pocket and be able to pick apart the Steelers’ defensive backfield, especially after taking a big hit from Cardinals’ safety Budda Baker last week? Or will he keep showing his elusiveness and keep picking up yards on the ground?

3. Loads of YAC

A big focus of offensive play-callers is getting their best players the ball in space. With yards after the catch being so important, there are two players to look at in this matchup.

In an offseason trade with the Seahawks, the Steelers acquired receiver D.K. Metcalf, who has possibly the best mix of imposing size and breakneck speed among receivers.

Metcalf ranks sixth in the NFL in yards after the catch and is second among receivers in YAC, even though he’s only tied for 43rd at the position in receptions. Among receivers, he leads in YAC per catch with 10.9 yards per catch, according to PFF.

The Packers will need to keep the ball out of his hands as much as possible. When he does get the ball, the Packers will have to limit him in open space, where he can use his speed to run past defenders or his power to run through them.

reen Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) runs after the catch against the Arizona Cardinals. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Packers have their own YAC king in Tucker Kraft, otherwise known as Kraft YAC and Cheese.

Even though he ranks only 16 among tight ends in receptions, Kraft is second at the position in YAC with 208 yards and is tied for 12th overall. Like Metcalf, he leads his position group in YAC per reception with 9.2. He has become a reliable and favorite option for Jordan Love and is second among tight ends in passer rating when targeted (153.1), according to PFF.

Kraft is hard to bring down with the ball in his hands and could become a game changer against the Steelers if they are able to get the ball in his hands often, like last week, when he had a career-high 10 targets.

Potentially limiting Kraft and Metcalf, both teams excel at tackling.

4. Which Linebacker Corps Prevails?

The Packers and Steelers are two teams with strong linebacker rooms, and it could be the position group that makes the difference on Sunday.

For the Steelers, Pro-Bowler Patrick Queen and second-year player Payton Wilson are in the center of their defense. Queen leads the team with 48 tackles and Wilson is next with 42. Both have one sack, five tackles for losses and three quarterback hits. Among off-the-ball linebackers with 30 tackles, Wilson’s average depth of tackle of 1.1 yards is the third-best, according to Sports Info Solutions.

For the Packers, it is former first-round pick Quay Walker and second-year linebacker Edgerrin Cooper locking down the middle of the field. Walker is 11th in the NFL in tackles with 59 and his average depth of tackle of 1.5 yards is fifth-best. Cooper has 49 tackles and his average depth of tackle of 0.8 is the best. Walker had 1.5 sacks last week; Cooper has three passes defensed.

“Quay is playing at an elite level right now,” defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said.

With each team having such a strong pair of linebackers, it will be tough for each offense to find space in the middle of the field, whether it be with the run or the pass.

5. The Return of the King

While a lot of fans wish this game were happening at Lambeau Field, they will have to settle for Aaron Rodgers playing his first game against the team he spent 18 years with in Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football.

In what is obviously the biggest story for this week in the NFL, Packers legend Aaron Rodgers will be suiting up on the opposite sideline from his former team for the first time. After being drafted by Green Bay and winning Super Bowl XLV and four MVP awards, Rodgers was traded to the Jets before the 2023 season.

Rodgers is proving that he still has some juice in Year 21. While his passing yards aren’t up there with the best in the league like they used to be, he has thrown 14 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

At 41 years old, he could struggle if the Steelers offensive line can’t contain Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary, but he has made that adjustment this season, with an average depth of target of only 6.6 yards and an average time to throw of 2.58 seconds, which is the second-fastest among starters.

While the story of this game would normally be about two teams at the top of their divisions facing off on Sunday Night Football, it also will be about the emotional reunion between an opposing quarterback, former teammates and coaches, and a fanbase that stood behind him for 18 years.