A solid overall performance here, especially commendable given it was the opening preseason game of the year for both clubs. All in all, it was a pretty clean, well-played game on both sides.
Both teams ran their first-team (for the most part) offenses and defenses for a couple of series. The Packers went with Jordan Love (3-5 for 18 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 0-0-0) for a series. The Steelers went with Mason Rudolph (10-11 for 93 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 0-0-0) for a couple of drives... Aaron Rodgers (DNP) isn't playing in the preseason; he doesn't need to.
The offenses were vanilla and solid enough, but the most impressive takeaway in this game, to me, was how well the two 1st-team defenses played... especially Pittsburgh's. The Steelers' defense is solid on the starting 11, but what really pops is their depth—they have nice talent in reserve. I walk away from this tape thinking this is one of the best-looking Steelers squads I've seen in years. It makes you feel like Mike Tomlin overstayed his welcome several years ago.
I thought the Packers looked fine/OK. They just looked like they were operating in a lower gear than Pittsburgh. The Steelers simply seemed to want this one more... especially the 2nd- and 3rd-team units, which is where Pittsburgh really pulled away. Looking ahead to the 2026 season, I just got the distinct feeling that this Steelers team is flat-out better than Green Bay.
Both the Packers organization and Jordan Love may find themselves on the hot seat if Green Bay is going to play with this passive, laid-back vibe from Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur.
However, it's just a preseason game and it was at Pittsburgh so that helped give the Steelers some momentum I'm sure. Green Bay wasn't terrible they just didn't match the desire that the Steelers did.
Player Notes...
-- I want to lead off this section by highlighting the single most impressive element of this game, so let's point right back to that Steelers defense.
That secondary could easily be one of the top units in the NFL. Joey Porter Jr. (DNP) is already one of the premier cover corners in the league, both statistically and on tape. They signed Jamel Dean (DNP) in free agency, and he was one of the top corners in football last season. Asante Samuel Jr. (0 tackles, 0.0 sacks, 0 TFLs, 1 PDs, 0 INTs) is still in the league and looked very solid in this game... I had almost forgotten about him, but he looks like a very capable, useful hand for a secondary. Rookie Daylen Everette (5 tackles, 0.0 sacks, 0 TFLs, 0 PDs, 0 INTs) looked fairly promising as well.
I caught a few snippets of the Bengals game (which was playing concurrently), and I saw Joe Burrow (DNP) getting pressured and sacked. As I was watching this deep, energized Steelers defense swarm, I started thinking "not so fast" on my original belief that Cincinnati was a lock to win the AFC North. The Steelers are a legitimate contender in this division... it's them or the Bengals in my book. I don't think the Ravens have what it takes anymore... which means I'll probably be proven wrong again and Baltimore will go undefeated and win the Super Bowl.
-- The player I wanted to see the most and focused on immediately was MarShawn Lloyd (4-12-0, 1--4-0/1) back in action for Green Bay. He looks noticeably more slender and a bit more awkward on the field than I remembered from his USC tape. I was not impressed with what I saw here. If anyone out there thinks MarShawn Lloyd is making a serious move on Josh Jacobs (DNP), you've lost your mind.
If Josh Jacobs faces any suspension time, I bet the Packers go out and sign veteran RB help to get by... I don't think they can rely heavily on MarShawn Lloyd right now. I still hold to the idea that the Seahawks might cut Emmanuel Wilson (DNP) and he finds his way back to Green Bay—IF Josh Jacobs is suspended.
-- The single most impressive individual player in this game: Packers rookie kicker Trey Smack (3/3 FGs, 0/0 PATs). He drilled all three of his official field goal attempts (including a pair of 58-yarders!) and also hammered another 58-yarder that was wiped out by a penalty. All I heard throughout OTAs and training camp was how much Smack was struggling, but in this game, he looked like the big-time prospect I scouted coming out of college. Hands down, he's going to be Green Bay's starting kicker Week 1.
-- It is almost official... Kaleb Johnson (2-3-0, 0-0-0/0) is just about done in Pittsburgh, and possibly in the NFL. Travis Homer (4-8-0, 2-10-0/2) started this game, and then the backfield quickly turned to Lew Nichols (10-36-1, 1--1-0/1), who looked like the best RB on the field... the former Packers draft pick now fighting for his NFL life with Pittsburgh. It wasn't until there were 19 minutes left in the game, when Drew Allar entered to lead the offense, then Kaleb Johnson finally came in with him—and while Allar put up numbers, Johnson gave you zero reason to notice he was even on the field.
I threw in the towel on Kaleb Johnson about a year ago to the date, after the very first time I saw him look so atrocious in the preseason... and my scouting evaluation was dead-on because something is still fundamentally broken with Johnson.
-- Drew Allar (10-13 for 153 yards, 2 TD/0 INT, 2-2-1) entered the game as the third QB to take snaps for Pittsburgh, which really makes him the QB4 given that Aaron Rodgers didn't play and Mason Rudolph started. Allar threw for two TDs and rushed for another, so I'm sure the media and fans considers him the MVP of the game. But strictly speaking as a scout, it wasn't actually that polished. When Allar had time, or when they dialed up misdirection to create simple reads and easy routes, Allar executed just fine. He's not a zero. But whenever the pocket collapsed or pressure got near him, I saw him panic and lock up just like he did in college. Allar is the ultimate OTAs/training camp arm that wows the media, but when real defensive heat comes, he wilts and locks onto his first read. But he does possess a hell of an arm.
Will Howard (7-9 for 86 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 1-2-0) actually played ahead of Drew Allar, and while Howard doesn't have the raw arm talent Allar does, I thought Howard played fine. He looks like he understands what he's doing out there far better than Allar does, even if Allar is the more visually imposing QB prospect.
Jordan Love started for Green Bay, then gave way to Tyrod Taylor (4-8 for 21 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 0-0-0), followed by rookie Kyle McCord (12-16 for 102 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 0-0-0). Of all the young QBs in this game, McCord looked the least impressive—not that he played terribly, but nothing about him stands out. He doesn't possess top-tier NFL traits that suggest he'll make a major mark in this league. He is well-coached from high school to college to the pros, so he won't embarrass himself... but compared to the other QBs in this game, McCord stood out as the one who didn't quite belong at this level.
-- Germie Bernard (0-0-0, 4-51-0/5) had a very solid debut for the Steelers. I imagine some box-score watchers will point to Bernard outproducing Roman Wilson (0-0-0, 1-7-0/3) and think it signals a depth chart shift, but what I saw on tape was Rudolph operating as the #2 QB—and Rudolph has spent all summer taking second-team reps alongside Bernard. They clearly have established timing and familiarity, which drove that target distribution over Wilson. Wilson looked fine, but Bernard was out there longer and saw way more volume.
Bernard is going to develop into a legitimate starter in the NFL, though that won't happen Week 1 unless a starter ahead of him suffers an injury. Bernard definitely gives off a slight Deebo Samuel vibe—I think Bernard is a better technical route runner than Deebo, but Deebo remains the far superior run-after-catch playmaker.
-- I've been a proponent of Savion Williams (0-0-0, 3-18-0/4) getting more opportunities, thinking he might be a starter-level WR for Green Bay, perhaps over Matthew Golden (0-0-0, 0-0-0/2). I'm still not a big Golden fan, but I was unimpressed with Year 2 Savion Williams here. He looked awkward, hyper, and out of control on the field, making zero ‘splash’ moments on tape. I am about officially ready to throw in the towel on Savion.
-- Steelers rookie WR Kaden Wetjen (0-0-0, 2-79-1/2) broke off a 74-yard catch-and-run that looked slick, though he couldn't outrun the secondary and got tracked down near the goal line. He later caught a short TD pass to finish off a drive. Wetjen looks like a typical WR6 and primary return man. I don't see starting-level WR skills on tape just yet, and I'm not sure they exist.
-- I was interested in checking out Steelers rookie Eli Heidenreich (9-21-0, 0-0-0/0) to see when and how he would be utilized. He entered the game after Johnson, which signals Heidenreich is likely headed for the practice squad. He got some run as the main RB late in the contest but failed to do anything notable with the opportunity.
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HOW THE MAINSTREAM VIEWS IT:
(I collected up 10+ different instant feedback reports from local papers, fan sites, ESPN, NFL, CBS, etc., and then had GEMINI give me the mainstream narratives for our observations....)
Collective Vibe: Across national beat reporting and team-specific coverage (Post-Gazette, Packers.com, Steelers Nation, Packers Wire, Steelers Depot, ESPN), the general consensus is that Pittsburgh demonstrated dominant organizational depth, clean quarterback execution, and disruptive defensive pressure. Conversely, Green Bay operated in a very generic, basic preseason mode where individual special teams bright spots (namely rookie kicker Trey Smack) were overshadowed by second-half offensive stalls and execution issues against Pittsburgh's reserve units.
Top 10 Consensus Takeaways (Packers vs. Steelers — Preseason Week 1)
1: Pittsburgh’s Backup QB Competition Blew the Doors Off The headline story across all outlets (ESPN, CBS, Steelers Depot, Post-Gazette) was Pittsburgh’s pristine quarterback play without Aaron Rodgers playing. Mason Rudolph (10/11), Will Howard (7/9), and Drew Allar (10/13, 3 total TDs) combined for 333 yards, 4 total scores, and just 6 incompletions. Allar’s dynamic second-half performance generated the most buzz.
2: Rookie Trey Smack Was Green Bay’s Brightest Star Packers.com, Packers Wire, and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel all highlighted rookie kicker Trey Smack as the ultimate takeaway for Green Bay. Smack was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals (converting from 37, 58, and 38 yards), providing a massive boost after offseason camp struggles.
3: Kaden Wetjen’s Explosive Playmaking Ability Selected as a returner, rookie wide receiver Kaden Wetjen provided the singular biggest highlight of the game. He caught a short pass and turned on the jets for a 74-yard catch-and-run before capping off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown catch from Allar.
4: Steelers Defensive Line & Front Seven Dominance Pittsburgh suffocated Green Bay's offense, holding them to just 160 total net yards and 2.7 yards per play. Outside linebacker Jamin Davis led the charge with an 8-tackle, 2-sack performance, while Pittsburgh's reserve front swarmed Green Bay's line all night.
5: Green Bay’s Vanilla First-Team Offense & MarShawn Lloyd’s Return Jordan Love played one series, completing 3-of-5 passes to set up a field goal. Matt LaFleur ran a completely basic scheme, resting major offensive weapons. Analysts noted MarShawn Lloyd’s return to game action, though Green Bay's rushing attack generated very little push.
6: Will Howard’s Chemistry with Veteran TE Robert Tonyan Will Howard stood out by operating a crisp 2-minute drill before halftime, connecting repeatedly with former Packers tight end Robert Tonyan (4 catches, 61 yards) on gains of 16, 15, and 22 yards to set up a touchdown.
7: Rookie WR Germie Bernard Looks Like a Hit Rookie second-round receiver Germie Bernard showed immediate chemistry with Mason Rudolph, catching 4 passes for 51 yards and breaking two tackles on a 25-yard gain, cementing his spot in the regular WR rotation.
8: Sloppy Special Teams & Heavy Penalties on Both Sides A major area of critique across both beat reports was discipline. Pittsburgh was hit with 11 penalties for 134 yards (including four personal fouls on special teams/defense), while Green Bay racked up 9 penalties for 76 yards.
9: Steelers Offensive Tackle Protection Issues Despite scoring 28 points, analysts at Steelers Depot and the Post-Gazette flagged tackle play. Left tackle Troy Fautanu suffered a false start and a holding call that wiped out a Lew Nichols touchdown, while right tackle Dylan Cook gave up a bad sack to Green Bay edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr.
10: Kyle McCord & Packers Reserve Offense Stalled Out While Green Bay backup edge Brenton Cox Jr. provided a flash on defense, rookie QB Kyle McCord and the 3rd-string Packers offense struggled to convert drives into touchdowns, getting outscored 21-3 in the second half.
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