Aaron Rodgers’ first showdown against the Packers has stolen much of the oxygen ahead of Sunday’s Green Bay’s showdown against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
Rodgers, 41, is out to prove that he can still be a championship caliber quarterback, against a swarming defense that has made a habit this season of punishing opposing signal callers.
Likewise, Packers quarterback Jordan Love has the chance to garner about as much validation as is available in a regular-season matchup, guiding an offense that entered the season with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations but has been forced to navigate myriad injury speed bumps, so far.
Packers’ Micah Parsons vs. Steelers’ T.J. Watt the marquee
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) celebrates a sack of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (6) in the fourth quarter of a Week 12 NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, at Paycor Stadium.
Over at Hall of Football, analyst Frank Cooney suggests that it won’t be Rodgers, but rather whether Micah Parsons or T.J. Watt have the more dominant performance that could swing the outcome of Sunday’s game.
“Love will need protection,” Cooney writes in his preview of Sunday night’s showdown. “And Watt (four sacks on the season) is still a threat to singlehandedly dismantle an offense. His matchup against Green Bay right tackle Zach Toms, questionable with back and oblique problems, will be pivotal.
“So too will be Pittsburgh’s tackles against Green Bay linebacker Micah Parsons. But even tougher than blocking Parsons has been running the ball against the Packers front seven. Pittsburgh does not run the ball effectively, so Rodgers could be facing a number of obvious passing situations against a Parsons-led pass rush. One thing in Pittsburgh’s favor? An otherwise very average offense is strong in the red zone.”
Parsons leads the Packers with 5.5 sacks, and only two other edge rushers across the league have more quarterback pressures than his 37.
Meanwhile, Watt has been the kind of dominant force that Pittsburgh has come to expect, with four sacks and 10 total tackles so far this season.
Much like a championship, Sunday’s game could hinge on which team can dominate the line of scrimmage, defensively, and whether either offensive line is able to keep their quarterback upright against a potentially swarming pass rush.
Oct 19, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) is sacked by Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Micah Parsons (1) in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images