NFL News History at stake for both Packers & Aaron Rodgers on Sunday Night Football
Since then, the Packers have played in Pittsburgh six times, with six different starting quarterbacks, and lost every game. Lynn Dickey, Randy Wright, Brett Favre, Rodgers, Brett Hundley, and Jordan Love all had opportunities there and failed, but they also suffered disappointments.
In 1980, the first points of the game were a safety for Pittsburgh when a Green Bay punt snap from the 28-yard line bounced over punter David Beverly’s head and into the end zone. The final score? Steelers 22, Packers 20.
In 1998, on Monday night, the Packers came close to taking a 27-20 lead after trailing 27-3 in the fourth quarter, but Jerome Bettis ran 12 yards in the third and fifth quarters to help time expire, and Favre couldn’t get the ball back one last time.
In 2009, future Hall of Famers Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger combined for nearly 900 passing yards and six touchdowns in a shootout. Rodgers gave the Packers the lead with two minutes remaining, but Roethlisberger got the ball last, allowing the Steelers to gain 86 yards and throw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace on the final play of the game. This pass gave the Steelers a 37-36 victory.
In 2017, Hundley, playing in place of the injured Rodgers on Sunday night, valiantly returned and scored the Packers’ equalizing touchdown with two minutes remaining. Both teams failed on their next drives, and Roethlisberger again got the ball last with 17 seconds remaining. Antonio Brown’s toe-tap catch from 23 yards out set up Chris Boswell’s 53-yard field goal.
And just two years ago, Love had to go into the end zone with three and a half minutes left, and then, in a last-ditch effort – a missed extra point prevented him from making the equalizing field goal, leaving the Packers trailing by four points, 23-19 – his last shot at the end zone was also blocked.
Obviously, it’s the Packers’ turn now, as quarterback Rodgers, a franchise legend who lost his only game in Pittsburgh while with Green Bay, is trying to prevent his former team from ending that ignominious streak.
Furthermore, Rodgers is trying to join Favre, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks to defeat all 32 NFL teams.
Favre was the first to do so with the Vikings’ victory over the Packers in 2009. Manning was the next when his Broncos defeated the Colts in 2014. Brees, who defeated the Saints as the Chargers quarterback early in his career, made the Ravens his 32nd victim in 2018. And finally, Brady defeated the Patriots with the Buccaneers in 2021.
For the record, three other active quarterbacks like Rodgers have defeated 31 teams and yet to defeat a single one. Patrick Mahomes has never faced the Chiefs, Russell Wilson lost in his only attempt to beat the Seahawks, and Matthew Stafford has never beaten the Steelers despite three attempts.
Rodgers hasn’t said much about the potential achievement this week, only mentioning how much it would mean to him if the match were held at Lambeau Field.
But since it’s in Pittsburgh, either he will make history, or the Packers will end a long drought. Something must be done.