5 takeaways from the Green Bay Packers 23-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10
PITTSBURGH – It’s a process to do what the Pittsburgh Steelers did Sunday, what the Steelers have done all season under coach Mike Tomlin, winning close games that come down to a play or two.
If the game is close, the Steelers win. Their average margin of victory entering Sunday was 5.4 points. Each of their three losses came by double digits. Three of the Green Bay Packers five losses this season had come by a combined seven points.
Make that four Packers losses by a combined 11 points this season.
The Packers still have not won consecutive games in the Jordan Love era, losing 23-19 to the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. The Packers trailed 20-19 entering the fourth quarter, giving them a chance to test their young team in another close game. But the Steelers own close games. Their six wins this season have now come by an average margin of 5.2 points.
The Packers had one last chance from their own 19-yard line with 59 seconds left. Love got leveled on the first play, but dropped a 49-yard pass to rookie Jayden Reed that put the Packers at the Steelers 35-yard line. The drive ended with 3 seconds left from the 16-yard line with a Love interception to Steelers safety Damontae Kazee at the goal line.
It’s a play the Packers wouldn’t have needed to run if not for a Steelers blocked extra point in the first half.
There is talent on this young Packers roster. Now at 3-6, it’s a team clearly not ready to win these close games yet.
Here are some quick observations:
Jordan Love has solid outing that would have been better with fewer drops
Jordan Love’s completion percentage read 52.5% in the box score, but it’s awfully deceiving. It was another game with a bevy of drops from the Packers offense, from Aaron Jones to Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks to Luke Musgrave. Love wasn’t perfect. He missed a handful of throws, including Musgrave in the end zone. On a third down in the fourth quarter, Love made a good play breaking a sack but fired behind rookie tight end Tucker Kraft. But there were more times when Love’s receivers needed to make a play, and didn’t. Love had one of his better games as the Packers starter this season, finishing with 21 completions on 40 attempts for 289 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for a 71.8 rating. Most importantly, he connected with Reed on a 35-yard touchdown after the rookie receiver ran behind the Steelers secondary. It was a sign Love might be starting to let it rip, breaking from his tendency of consistent underthrows downfield. Love’s first touchdown was a drop in the bucket to Romeo Doubs in the back, right corner of the end zone, allowing the open Doubs to make the catch shielding his body to the defense while getting both feet inbounds. (It was Doubs’ sixth touchdown catch this season.) Against a good Steelers pass rush in a hostile road environment, it was a solid showing from a young quarterback – even with his fourth-quarter interception intended for Christian Watson against solid coverage from Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson. It would’ve been better with fewer drops.
Joe Barry’s defense loses battle against Steelers maligned offense
The Pittsburgh Steelers are not a good offense in any phase. There’s a reason offensive coordinator Matt Canada has been the ire of Steelers fans with similar vigor Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry has come under. Canada had the better day because the Packers run defense was lacking throughout. The Steelers entered Sunday ranked 24th in the NFL with 90.5 rushing yards per game. The Packers allowed 205 rushing yards on 36 carries behind poor tackling and a lack of gap discipline. Running back Najee Harris had been held below 75 yards all season, but the Packers allowed his season high with 82 yards on 16 carries. Fellow running back Jaylen Warren added a season-high 101 yards on 15 carries, including a 16-yard touchdown run when he ran through Packers safety Jonathan Owens’ tackle. It wasn’t good enough against an offense that has been criticized as much as the Packers defense this season.
AJ Dillon has longest run of his career, 40 yards
When asked if the Packers offense might ride Aaron Jones with a heavy workload for the second straight week, Matt LaFleur made a point to say AJ Dillon was playing his best this season. The numbers these past couple of weeks indicated that. Dillon averaged better than 3.5 yards per carry in three of his past four games entering Sunday. He hit that mark in just one of his first four games. Still, there was nothing to expect Dillon might be on the verge of breaking a long run. He hadn’t had a carry of more than 15 yards this season. Then Dillon found some open field on the left side in Sunday’s first half and rumbled for 40 yards, the longest run of his career. Dillon’s previous long run was 36 yards at the Chicago Bears in October 2021. He hadn’t reached 20 yards on a carry since December of last year. The Packers have been starved for big plays from their second tailback. Perhaps his breakaway is a sign of better things to come in the second half of this season, especially with the weather getting colder.
Packers stick with Aaron Jones despite lack of production
Dillon’s big run was especially important on a day the Packers could not get Aaron Jones on track. It wasn’t for lack of effort. Jones had 17 touches. Twice early in the third quarter, the Packers got Jones a touch in the open field on a play that appeared to be a potential touchdown. He was chased down from behind on the first, and didn’t get a difficult block from right guard Jon Runyan on the second. It was significant coach Matt LaFleur kept going to Jones anyway. How many times has it looked like Jones could dominate a game, but the Packers simply didn’t give it to him enough? Jones’ touches were the bedrock of an offense that stayed on schedule with down and distance, making everything easier, especially for the quarterback. He’s too good to be shut down consistently. If the Packers continue to ride Jones, only good things can happen.
Packers offensive line keeps T.J. Watt in check
T.J. Watt continued to build on his career sack total that tops the Steelers all-time list, but the Packers offensive line did a good job keeping him in check. Watt had one sack, giving the former Badgers star who the Packers declined to draft in 2017 a career total of 88. He added another quarterback hit and led the Steelers with eight tackles, including one for lost yardage, but Watt was not the game wrecker he can be. Right tackle Zach Tom was responsible for blocking Watt most of the game, impressive for a lineman who is probably best served on the interior. A player of Watt’s caliber isn’t going to be shut down for four quarters, but the Packers couldn’t have asked for much more from their offensive line against one of the NFL’s best.