The mentee beat the mentor Sunday night. (Photo: Getty)
By Mark Eckel
Somewhere Bart Starr and Phil Bengston are smiling. And Aaron Rodgers is not.
For the first time since 1970 when Bengston was their head coach and Starr was their quarterback, the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, 35-25. And in the process they beat their future Hall of Fame quarterback in Rodgers.
The Packers win spoiled Rodgers chance to become just the fifth quarterback to record a win against all 32 teams. Not only that but Rodgers was outplayed by his predecessor Jordan Love.
At one point Love completed 20 consecutive passes tying a Packers mark set by another Hall of Famer Brett Favre in 2007. He finished the night 29-for-37 for 360 yards and three touchdowns for a QB rating of 134.2.
Rodgers was 24-for-36 for 202 yards with two touchdowns for a QB rating of 101.5.
Pittsburgh led, 16-7, at the half but the Packers scored on five straight possessions in the second half to take control of the game.
The offense rolled for 454 total yards, did not commit a turnover, did not allow a sack and was not called for a penalty.
Here are the rest of the highlights and lowlights as the Packers moved to 5-1-1 on the season and remained the top seed in the NFC.
Offensive Hero: Tight end Tucker Kraft was great with seven catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns. But Love was even better. He used 10 different receivers on the night for his 29 completions and also converted the Packers first two-point conversion of the season on a pass to Romeo Doubs.
Offensive Zero: There really wasn't one on offense. So we'll go with kicker Brandon McManus who returned to action after missing two games and missed two field goals in the first half. The 58-yarder can be excused. The 44-yarder at the end of the half can not.
Defensive Hero: In a close decision let's go with Rashan Gary, who had two sacks and made some plays against the run in the second half slightly over Micah Parsons, who had one sack and a ton of pressure on Rodgers. Safety Javon Bullard also had a nice game and recovered a fumble for the team's fourth take-away of the season.
Defensive Zero: Last week it was Nate Hobbs who struggled at cornerback. Sunday night it was Keisean Nixon, who got beat on a 45-yard completion, and committed two penalties on third downs that extended Steelers scoring drives. Oh, and he also muffed a punt. It was the worse night for a Nixon since Watergate.
Play of the Game: On the their third play of the second half, the Packers faced 3rd-and-5 from their 15-yard line. Love connected with Kraft for 59 yards to the Steelers 26-yard line.
Turning Point: Down 19-14 late in the third quarter, Love and the Packers faced a 3rd-and-7 from the Steelers 40-yard line. Christian Watson, in his first game of the season, hauled in a 33-yard pass to make it first-and-goal. Josh Jacobs scored the go-ahead touchdown two plays later.
This and That: Emmanuel Wilson replaced Jacobs in the second half and carried 11 times for 61 yards and also caught three passes for 26 yards. …Watson, who was on PUP after rehabbing a torn ACL, caught four passes for 85 yards in his return. … Carrington Valentine started in place of Hobbs at cornerback. …**Sean Rhyan** came in for Jordan Morgan at right guard in the second half. … The Packers have not allowed a first-quarter touchdown all season. …Jacobs was held to 33 yards on 13 carries, but scored his ninth touchdown of the season and seventh in his last four games.
Injuries: Right tackle Zach Tom left late in the fourth quarter and did not return. He appeared OK on the sidelines.
Inactives: Defensive end Lukas Van Ness (knee) and wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (calf) were both ruled out Friday. Kicker Brandon McManus (calf) was a game-time decision and played while Lucas Havrisik was inactive. Defensive tackle Warren Brinson (hamstring) listed as questionable was out. Healthy inactives were offensive linemen Donovan Jennings and Jacob Monk.
Up Next: The Packers return home to face the Carolina Panthers (4-4). This will be the 19th meeting between the two teams, including the 1996 NFC Championship Game and the ninth at Lambeau Field. The Packers hold a 12-6 advantage in the series and are 6-2 at home.