Steelers vs. Packers: 5 Surprises in Sunday’s Loss

The Steelers didn’t just lose to the Packers—they unraveled. What looked like a winnable matchup turned into a fourth-quarter collapse that exposed cracks across the roster, from defensive lapses to offensive inconsistency.

Pittsburgh’s 35-25 defeat wasn’t just a bad day at the office—it was a wake-up call. And while the scoreboard told one story, the surprises buried in the tape tell another. Here are some surprises from that matchup.

Containing Josh Jacobs

There was one positive in the game: the Steelers found a way to contain the Packers rushing offense. Mostly.

Jacobs, who ran for over 1300 yards in 2024, had been a constant force in Green Bay’s offense through the 2025 season as well.

He ran for two touchdowns in his previous two outings – and while he would score on the Steelers Sunday, Jacobs was held to only 33 yards on 13 carries.

That’s a 2.5 yards-per-attempt average, his second-lowest output of the season.

Steelers defensive collapse

Containing Jacobs was a focal point for the Steelers defense. Unfortunately, that’s the only thing that went right for them on Sunday Night Football.

The Packers moved the ball with ease, particularly in the second half. Some of the Steelers early stops in the first and second quarter were aided by drops and Packers mistakes, which were cleaned up as the latter scored on five-straight second half possessions, including three touchdown drives.

The Steeler pass rush failed to get to QB Jordan Love, who was able to complete twenty consecutive passes in those possessions. The end result was the Steelers ceding over 30 points to an opponent for the fourth time this season.

Tucker Kraft torches secondary

On the unofficial National Tight Ends Day, Pittsburgh had no answer for Kraft’s physicality after the catch, and he was a key reason Green Bay pulled away.

Kraft went off, leading the Packers in receptions (7), yards (143), and touchdowns (2).

Kraft, made several big plays throughout the game, including a pitch-and-catch for 59 yards. That play, which wasn’t without controversy, also saw Steelers safety DeShon Elliott leave the field with a knee injury that could place his season in jeopardy.

Inconsistent officiating

Shawn Hochuli’s crew was a mixed bag, as the notoriously flag happy referees did not go unnoticed.

Among the gaffs in this game, at least from a Steelers’ point of view, were a D.K. Metcalf offensive pass interference call, where Metcalf “shoved off” to create separation. That play, unpenalized, would’ve generated a one-yard gain. Instead, it set Pittsburgh back 15 yards.

Similar calls went unpunished last week with the Bengals receiving corps and even later in this same game, when Kraft blatantly pushed Elliott off on his big 59-yard catch.

Apparently the difference was a “full extension” of the arm. (Remember this weight lifters, in the event you lock your elbows bench pressing… that’s a flag, not the rest of the weight you can push!)

The most egregious non-call was a third down offside by the Packers defense, where Aaron Rodgers sent a pass sailing, believing he had a free play. None of the zebras through a flag, and after huddling up – despite the various replays on the large scoreboard in their view – decided there was no penalty.

That was a turning point for Pittsburgh, as the Kraft play would happen on the Packers next possession: one they shouldn’t have had (at least yet!)

Roman Wilson’s breakout game

Another lone bright spot in the game was Wilson, the Steelers third round pick from 2024 who has had difficulty getting on the field due to injuries and other players on the depth chart playing ahead of him.

Wilson logged 46% of the offense’s snaps and made the most of them. The second-year player secured four of his five targets for 74 yards, including his first NFL touchdown.

He also had a 45-yard play, as Wilson broke free during a Rodgers scramble, connecting with the veteran quarterback early in the game.