Packers vs. Steelers: Love and Co. Try to Break 55-year Drought in Pittsburgh
Jordan Love made his 10th career start, two years ago in Pittsburgh, throwing two touchdown passes in a 23-19 loss.
On February 6, 2011, the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers would be linked forever as opponents in Super Bowl XLV. The two storied franchises, who hadn’t both made a conference championship game in the same season since 1997, met in a memorable Super Bowl, with the Packers being victorious 31-25. The matchup featured the league’s top 2 defenses in 2010, as well as two quarterbacks who are likely to be in Canton someday in Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger.
Rodgers had one of the best performances of his career, finishing with 304 yards and three touchdown passes. His fourth quarter completion to Greg Jennings is arguably the most important throw of his career.
With 31 days left until the start of the NFL season, let's look at this absolute laser from Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings to pick up a 31 yards and shift momentum during Super Bowl XLV. pic.twitter.com/q0aGJXHCNa
— r/GreenBayPackers (@redditPackers) August 9, 2021
The game was the last Super Bowl appearance for both franchises. The Packers and Steelers are two of just seven franchises with at least four Super Bowl wins. The others in that category are: Patriots 6, 49ers and Cowboys 5, Giants and Chiefs 4. There have been 49 different matchups in Super Bowls, as the Steelers have made the second-most appearances with eight and the Packers have five.
Sunday’s matchup, a Super Bowl XLV rematch, will be memorable now for another reason: it will be Aaron Rodgers against the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers will join the likes of Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as former MVPs and Super Bowl champions to go against their former team.
This season, Rodgers joined Russell Wilson as the only former Super Bowl winning quarterbacks to join the team they defeated in the Super Bowl. Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2022, a team his Seahawks beat in Super Bowl XLVIII. Rodgers joined the Steelers this offseason after two forgettable seasons with the New York Jets.
Ironically, Sunday’s game will be the first Packers at Steelers game to feature Aaron Rodgers since 2009.
The last two times the Packers played in Pittsburgh, the starting quarterbacks were Brett Hundley (2017) and Jordan Love (2023). The 2017 contest was also on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
The Packers are 0-3 in Acrisure Stadium (more famously known as Heinz FIeld), all three losses coming in the final seconds. They also lost their last three games at Three Rivers Stadiums, with losses in 1980, 1986 and 1998. The last time the Packers won in Pittsburgh was all the way back in 1970. It was a 20-12 win, where the starting quarterbacks were Bart Starr and Terry Bradshaw.
THROWBACK: 1970, the last time the Packers beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/7KBtmCbgfZ
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) October 21, 2025
A win on Sunday, which would break a 55-year drought in Pittsburgh, would also be the team’s second straight road win, after starting the season 0-1-1 on the road. The Packers, who currently hold the NFC’s No.1 seed over a group of seven two-loss teams (Lions, Bears, Eagles, 49ers, Rams, Seahawks, Bucs), are going to need as many road wins as possible to keep pace with those other teams. Especially since the Packers will play nine road games in 2025, and just eight home games.
Packers at Steelers since 1970
| Year | Winning Team | Losing Team | Score | Packers QB | Steelers QB |
| 2025 | Jordan Love | Aaron Rodgers | |||
| 2023 | Steelers | Packers | 23-19 | Jordan Love | Kenny Pickett |
| 2017 | Steelers | Packers | 31-28 | Brett Hundley | Ben Roethlisberger |
| 2009 | Steelers | Packers | 37-36 | Aaron Rodgers | Ben Roethlisberger |
| 1998 | Steelers | Packers | 27-20 | Brett Favre | Kordell Stewart |
| 1986 | Steelers | Packers | 27-3 | Randy Wright | Mark Malone |
| 1980 | Steelers | Packers | 22-20 | Lynn Dickey | Terry Bradshaw |
| 1970 | Packers | Steelers | 20-12 | Bart Starr | Terry Bradshaw |
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Mitch McLaughlin is a Packers fan and shareholder residing in Sacramento, California. He will be writing Packers stories each week on Cheesehead TV. He can be found on Twitter: @McLaughlinMitch
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Comments (17)
Leatherhead
October 21, 2025 at 06:14 pm
Of course it'd be nice to win this,but this game is the least important game remaining on our schedule. On the road, out of conference.
The games that follow....Panthers, Eagles, Giants, Vikings.....are more important.
Snap the ball
October 21, 2025 at 09:53 pm
This one is important
Real important
R Gary needs to be at the top of his game and get home ….no razzle dazzle. Get home.
Cooper and Quay also
Cooper needs a big game
Spock
October 22, 2025 at 03:09 am
No worries: From the Packers Dope Sheet (from Packers team website), "Including Super Bowl XLV, Green Bay has scored 27-plus points in five of the last six matchups against Pittsburgh." 27 points sure sounds familiar, lol.
porupack
October 22, 2025 at 08:40 am
I want a certificate of guarantee before I can sleep at night and return to work before sunday. My nails are nubbed to the skin....oh...my
T7Steve
October 22, 2025 at 08:01 am
I think it would be nice to get the O-line and the rest of the offense dialed in for those upcoming games you named, don't you? Start clicking in the run game. Don't think it's easy to say, "least important" when it's just as easy to get hurt and on Sunday night.
porupack
October 22, 2025 at 08:41 am
The most important game is the next game on the schedule...whut I think about it.
KenEllis
October 21, 2025 at 06:23 pm
The good part is Pittsburgh's QB, some guy who wears #8, is probably not savvy enough to target the slot CB masquerading as a boundary corner who wears #21 for the Pack.
Snap the ball
October 21, 2025 at 09:54 pm
21 waiting for a pick
This game comes down to R Gary and Copper.
porupack
October 22, 2025 at 08:42 am
haha that's precious. I still don't hate rodgers...but that is precious, KenEllis
Snap the ball
October 21, 2025 at 09:57 pm
No hero ball please on offense.
Stick to the basic fundamentals
Block. Run and catch.
No penalties.
Need road wins
Only 5 home games left
NEED ROAD WINS…
MitchAnthony
October 21, 2025 at 10:53 pm
Aaron Rodgers to his Steeler offensive teammates - "Guys, just a few seconds, Just a few good seconds for me to throw. Well, since it is - me - maybe a few more for insurance if you can. But if someone can point me in the direction of where that #21 guy is playing on D, that's where I'm throwing. DK? Got that?"
Seriously though. This could be a good one.
bjb2012sime
October 22, 2025 at 12:03 am
Unless the Packers can activate the 70's WayBack machine and time travel Willie Buchanon and Ken Ellis to the secondary, I have a bad feeling about this. Front 7 have to pressure Rodgers, which is tough considering his quick release, otherwise he will pick the back end apart. Who's going to cover DK?....CB1 or 21?
I served with Charles Woodson. I knew Charles Woodson. Charles Woodson was a friend of mine, and you, Nate Hobbs are no Charles Woodson.
Will be interesting to see how Hafley approaches this; Rodgers will probably pick apart zone coverage, but Pack CBs don't have the skills to play man....
It seems like 3rd and 1 has been insurmountable for the Packers offense in the last decade or two; that outside pitch to Jacobs with Musgrave leading the way was idiotic. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line so run between the tackles, but if OL run blocking can't be trusted then consider a high percentage short pass..
Bearmeat
October 22, 2025 at 04:32 am
We have more talent than the Steelers, but I do not expect to win. Frankly, this team needs to grow up and I am losing faith that it will happen. I expect ARod to go Spite/Revenge-God-Mode and Hobbs to be a punching bag.
BuckyBadger
October 22, 2025 at 08:20 am
Mike Tomlin as a dog of over 3pts at home has been fantastic all his career. As a person that bets this is the spot you hammer the Steelers. A favorite like last week vs the Bengals he routinely comes up short but Tomlin is money as a home dog of 3.5 pts or more.
The Steelers D hasn't been great but they are good at rushing the passer and disguising their looks on the back end of their D. I think the Packers will have to run the ball which is something we know MLF will try to do. On defense they will need to make Rodgers uncomfortable. If they have time to get DJ deep that is a huge mismatch for us.
BuckyBadger
October 22, 2025 at 08:24 am
"Especially since the Packers will play nine road games in 2025, and just eight home games."
Isn't this true for all NFC teams? I thought they altered back on forth where all NFC teams had the 9 road games and the next year all AFC teams had the 9 road games. The 16 game schedule was perfect for a league with 8 divisions of 4 teams, the schedule balanced very well.
porupack
October 22, 2025 at 08:51 am
Based on evidence, GB doesn't have the personnel that can match Metcalf and WR corps, and thus Tomlin will have the steelers nearly setting records and a blowout. GB no chance.....unless, unless they roll dice, gamble with a scheme and disguise everything a.k.a. Brian Flores, and hope they create confusion and turnovers. Otherwise...not much of a game after both opening drives.
JohnnyLogan
October 22, 2025 at 12:28 pm
It's not the defense I worry about; it's the offense. I rewatched the Arizona game, and the Packers' passing schemes were about as basic and easy to cover as you can imagine.; Receivers doing crossing patterns 10 to 20 yards downfield against zone defense, on short 3rd downs, resulting in incompletions. No checkdown available; 3rd and five on Arizona 39, long incomplete pass in the end zone. 3rd and 7, long incomplete pass in the end zone. 4th and five, Love fades back waiting for a long pass play to open up and takes a sack. Fortunately, on the most critical play of the game, 4th and two, a reasonably long sideline pass to Kraft is successful. If it fails, we lose. That's too close for comfort.
The Packers' secondary was picked apart by Brissett, McBride, and Harrison Jr., despite six sacks. Rodgers should have a field day against this secondary. Which means Love and company need sustained drives, not hero attempts at the end zone in short yardage. Le Fleur "has to be better."