Week 4 of the 2021 season brings the treat of 17-year veteran Aaron Rodgers taking on 18-year vet Ben Roethlisberger - for only the third time in their long NFL careers.
The Packers and Steelers entered the 2021 season with the longest-tenured quarterbacks that remain with their original team. Despite both being routine contenders in their respective conferences, neither team has been back to the game's greatest stage since they faced off in Super Bowl XLV.
While the Packers may have had the last laugh when it mattered most, they haven't beaten the Steelers during the regular season since 1995 (thanks, Yancey Thigpen) - going 0-5 in games versus Pittsburgh since then. Ending that losing streak means handing Mike Tomlin and the Steelers their third straight loss, a blow that - even this early in the season - could be difficult to overcome in the competitive AFC North.
On Offense
Playing a team he hasn't faced since that Super Bowl in 2011, Aaron Rodgers will look to build on strong performances in Weeks 2 and 3 versus one of the league's most revered defenses - and he should have free rein to move the ball through the air. Against a Pittsburgh front seven that hasn't allowed a rushing touchdown yet this season, head coach Matt LaFleur is likely employ the uncharacteristic, pass-happy attack that worked well in San Francisco, especially if Aaron Jones isn't 100% at kickoff.
When throwing, however, the Packers will need to spread the ball more than they're used to. After being targeted 18 times last week, Davante Adams has the attention of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. To think Pittsburgh won't regularly double him is fictitious; the Packers will need other players to step up. I'm looking for Rodgers to hook up with Robert Tonyan early on and for Allen Lazard to have his first big game since Week 3 last season.
On Defense
For a team that thrives on winning the turnover battle, all eyes will be on Joe Barry and the Packers' defense to sustain Ben Roethlisberger's struggles and make it a third straight game with an interception. While the Packers' pass rush is missing outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith, they should be able to have their way against a Steelers offensive line that has already allowed eight sacks this season.
Where Ben hasn't been big, his supporting cast has helped carry the offense. When healthy, Pittsburgh is loaded at wide receiver - led by Diontae Johnson and second-year wide out Chase Claypool. And, while he hasn't gotten off to a fast start on the ground, rookie running back Najee Harris still poses a threat as a receiver out of the backfield that the Packers' linebackers will need to account for.
PackerDay Prediction: Packers 27, Steelers 20
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