Ahead of a primetime tilt in Pittsburgh, the main story (of course) is the matchup between the student and the teacher, the up-and-coming face of the franchise and the all-time great. Jordan Love vs. Aaron Rodgers. Arguably the greatest player in the history of the Green Bay Packers will don black and yellow for his first, and likely only, matchup with the team for which he played 17 years.
Rodgers told Green Bay media earlier this week that his career started and will end with the Packers. He also noted he would have preferred this game to take place at the “hallowed ground” of Lambeau Field, as would all of us, but Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh is going to have to do. It’s comforting for fans to hear him declare his intention to sign a one-day contract and eventually write the epilogue for what was a truly transcendent career in green and gold.
However, he will be the enemy on Sunday night. The Steelers have come out of the gates hot, getting off to a 4-2 start. With the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens reeling, they are in the driver’s seat of the AFC North and appear headed towards a playoff berth. Rodgers and his offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, have proven to be a match made in heaven. They have built an offense around four skilled tight ends, three running backs, a few journeyman wide receivers, and D.K. Metcalf, the $150 million big man on the outside. The connection between Rodgers and Metcalf is in its infancy, but Smith has done a good job getting the ball to anyone and everyone, as he’s known to do.
As for the Packers, Love’s receiving corps has been short-handed. Injuries to Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks have thinned the group out, but Romeo Doubs and Tucker Kraft have emerged to move the chains time and again. Fans are anxious to see Matthew Golden’s involvement increase, but Matt LaFleur is in no rush for the rookie to take on a marquee role.
Christian Watson‘s return has become lost in the drama of the battle between Love and Rodgers. Watson’s rehab has gone well following an ACL tear late last season, and general manager Brian Gutekunst gave him a one-year extension to assess his fit in the evolving offense next to Golden. The Packers have used Golden in various ways this season. He has moved the chains on key downs, caught passes deep down the field, and received manufactured touches at the line of scrimmage.
Watson’s return should herald more field-stretching for the offense. As the dynamic running game with Josh Jacobs begins to pick up steam, that dimension becomes a crucial counter to defensive adjustments. The Packers drafted Watson 33rd-overall out of North Dakota State as a solution to the team’s barren receiving room. As he nears the end of his rookie contract, he has settled into a niche role in a talented and deep young group of wideouts. Meanwhile, the Packers drafted Golden to become the alpha that Love can depend on in crucial moments.
For all of the people who believe Rodgers is one of, if not the greatest, ever to do it, he has been criticized for holding on to the ball in a way that prevents many interceptions, but leads to even more sacks. His predecessor, Brett Favre, was on the opposite side of the spectrum, lining his box score with tons of touchdowns, alongside a fair share of picks. Love has played with both an angel and a devil on his shoulder; he loves to push the ball down the field. Watson’s speed is an instant game-changer in play action. His return begs the question of who will be less involved as a result, but LaFleur has insisted that the offense he’s running isn’t going to force-feed the ball to anyone.
Doubs, Golden, Kraft, and Watson are an exciting quartet of pass catchers heading into Sunday night. Reed’s return down the stretch will only complicate the division of labor. Still, it will infuse the offense with even more ways to attack the defense and spin off of the running game.
Gutekunst ultimately decided not to push his chips in with Metcalf when the Seattle Seahawks put him on the market. Still, Gutekunst has given Jordan Love everything he needs to command the most potent offense of his career, and the third-year starter is delivering. Sunday night should be a battle for the ages, and hopefully one we’ll talk about for a long time. Love and the Packers enter as three-point favorites, but everyone, both inside and outside of Green Bay, knows not to count Aaron Rodgers out.