Green Bay’s LaFleur focusing on entire Steelers team as Packers get ready to face Aaron Rodgers
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Packers coach Matt LaFleur knows he and his players will get plenty of questions this week about facing Aaron Rodgers for the first time since the four-time MVP quarterback left Green Bay.
LaFleur is trying his best to deflect them.
“We’re playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, who happen to have Aaron Rodgers,” LaFleur said Monday. “It’s as simple as that.”
In reality, it’s not nearly that simple.
Rodgers spent 18 seasons with Green Bay, led the Packers to their most recent Super Bowl championship. The Packers traded Rodgers to the New York Jets shortly before the 2023 draft, but he never got to play against his former team during his Jets tenure.
That opportunity comes Sunday night when the Packers (4-1-1) visit the Steelers (4-2), who signed Rodgers in June. It’s also the first time Rodgers matches up with Jordan Love, who succeeded him as Green Bay’s quarterback.
“That is for you guys to talk about,” LaFleur said. “Granted, I mean, we’ve got a lot of love and respect for Aaron, what he’s done here. I mean, he’s a Hall of Famer. And I know like our past together, we had a lot of great moments. But this game is not about that. It’s about going to Pittsburgh. ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Our guys will be jacked up. Their guys will be jacked up. It’s about the Green Bay Packers versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that’s for you guys to talk about all those other storylines.”
Love is one of 14 players remaining on the Packers’ roster who were with the team in 2022 during Rodgers’ last season in Green Bay.
The 41-year-old Rodgers is the latest in a series of veteran quarterbacks to face the Packers.
Green Bay played against 40-year-old Joe Flacco twice in a span of three games. Flacco’s Cleveland Browns beat the Packers 13-10 before he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, who lost at Green Bay 27-18 on Oct. 12. The Packers also have gone against a couple of 32-year-old quarterbacks, as they tied Dak Prescott’s Dallas Cowboys 40-40 on Sept. 28 and edged Jacoby Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 on Sunday.
The Packers will head into Pittsburgh with two straight wins, but they still haven’t quite regained the form they showed when they opened the season with convincing victories over the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. The Packers trailed most of the way Sunday before handing Arizona its fifth consecutive loss.
“We’ll get back to the film room and try to find ways to be better,” safety Xavier McKinney said after Sunday’s game. “But we for damn sure can’t do this against good teams because it’s not going to work. I think the guys know that. We’re happy we got the win, but we’ve got to be a lot better.”
What’s working
The Packers didn’t commit any turnovers Sunday and have only three all season. … The Packers are 5 of 7 in fourth down conversion attempts. They went 2 of 3 in those situations Sunday, and Love’s 15-yard completion to Tucker Kraft on fourth-and-2 from the Arizona 29 led to the go-ahead touchdown. … Green Bay sacked Brissett six times.
What needs help
The Packers were penalized 10 times for 94 yards. Green Bay is committing 8.3 penalties per game, more than any team other than Denver, Chicago and Jacksonville entering Monday.
Stock up
DE Micah Parsons had a career-high three sacks. … RB Josh Jacobs had his third straight two-touchdown performance despite dealing with a calf injury that made him a game-time decision. … K Lucas Havrisik set a franchise record with a 61-yard field goal just before halftime. … LB Quay Walker had a team-high nine tackles to go along with 1 1/2 sacks. It was his first career game with more than one sack.
Stock down
Guard Sean Rhyan didn’t play any offensive snaps Sunday as 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan continued his takeover of the starting spot at right guard. Rhyan started all 17 games last season and the first four games this season, but Morgan has been the starter at right guard the past two games. Rhyan had played 11 offensive snaps Oct. 12 in a 27-18 win over the Bengals.
Injuries
WR Dontayvion Wicks hurt his calf Sunday. … DT Devonte Wyatt (knee) and K Brando McManus (quadriceps) each missed their second straight game. DE Lukas Van Ness (foot) also didn’t play.
“I’m not overly optimistic, but we’ll see,” LaFleur said about Van Ness’ potential availability for the Steelers game.
Key number
27 — The Packers have scored exactly 27 points in each of their four wins this season.
Next steps
The Sunday night visit to Pittsburgh caps a five-game stretch in which the Packers are playing four on the road.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl