Coming off an ugly loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Green Bay Packers Sunday night. It figures to be a tough matchup for the Steelers because the Packers have been one of the best teams in the league. They’re flawed, but they’re still the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Even with the game in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are underdogs. However, former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker is picking the Steelers to win.
“I have to think that the Steelers play better on defense than they did last Thursday night,” Tucker said recently on his YouTube channel. “It would be hard for them to play worse. This isn’t a good spot for Green Bay. They were just on Sunday in Arizona.
“Now, they’ve gotta play on the road again, whereas the Steelers, extra time to rest, extra time to prepare for this one. I think the Steelers win this one at home. I think they bounce back. These are the type games that [Mike] Tomlin bounces back in always. 24-23, the Steelers get it done on Sunday Night Football.”
The Steelers’ defense had a rough performance against the Bengals. After looking like it finally found its footing, that unit took several steps back. The Bengals beat them on the ground and through the air, even though their offense had been struggling since Joe Burrow went down in Week 2.
Tucker is correct that the Steelers’ defense would be hard-pressed to play worse this week. However, that’s not impossible. The Packers don’t have the top-tier playmakers like the Bengals, but they have a solid group on offense. Quarterback Jordan Love has been good, throwing for 1,438 yards and 10 touchdowns with just two interceptions.
The Packers have a lot of capable receivers, too. Matthew Golden, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks can all make plays. Tight end Tucker Kraft is a reliable weapon as well.
However, the Steelers’ defense might struggle most against running back Josh Jacobs. This year, that unit has been at its worst when it cannot stop the run. The Steelers just let Chase Brown easily have his best day of the season, running for 108 yards on 11 carries. Before that, he had only rushed for 202 yards in six games.
Jacobs is on a different level than Brown. He’s been a dynamic threat for years, including his first season in Green Bay in 2024 when he made the Pro Bowl and ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns.
This year, he’s doing similar things as Jacobs has 414 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in six games. The Steelers’ run defense could have its hands full again.
Tucker believes that the Steelers will have a better showing this week, though. Their stock is down right now, but they’ve got a lot of talent. The Packers aren’t unbeatable, either. Their only loss this year came against the Cleveland Browns. Perhaps they’ll have a similar letdown against the Steelers.
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