Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers handed the Pittsburgh Steelers a second straight defeat in the NFL on Sunday as Aaron Rodgers’ first game against his former club fell flat. Love, who spent three seasons as Rodgers’ understudy in Green Bay after being drafted as the veteran quarterback’s long-term replacement in 2020, showed superb poise in a 35-25 road victory at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium. The 26-year-old threw three touchdowns and finished with 360 yards from 29 completions out of 37 attempts to outshine the 41-year-old Rodgers, who has been rejuvenated this season since joining the Steelers after an unhappy two-year stint with the New York Jets.
“It’s definitely special,” Love told NBC television after the win. “We knew it was going to be a hyped-up game all week going against A-Rod, so I’m just glad we came in here and handled our business,” the Green Bay quarterback added. At one stage, the red-hot Love completed 20 consecutive passes, the first Green Bay quarterback to achieve that feat since Brett Favre in 2007. Rodgers, meanwhile, finished with two touchdowns and 219 passing yards, but was under constant pressure from Green Bay’s swarming defense, led by Micah Parsons.
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Rodgers had connected with receiver DK Metcalf for a close-range touchdown to put Pittsburgh 16-7 ahead at half-time. But Love took over after the break, engineering three straight touchdown drives to put the Packers 29-19 up midway through the fourth quarter before two field goals put the game beyond Pittsburgh’s reach.
In other games on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens snapped their four-game losing streak with a 30-16 victory over the Chicago Bears while the New York Jets bagged their first win of the season in a come-from-behind defeat of the Cincinnati Bengals. Baltimore, who started the season tipped as Super Bowl contenders but had lost five out of six games heading into Sunday, improved to 2-5 after two rushing touchdowns from running back Derrick Henry. Tyler Huntley, filling in at quarterback in place of injured star Lamar Jackson, threw for 186 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions as the Bears fell to 4-3. Huntley had stepped up after controversy surrounding two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Jackson, who was declared fit and available in Friday’s injury report before being ruled out on Saturday.
The Jets, meanwhile, snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 39-38 road victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Jets trailed 38-24 midway through the fourth quarter but rallied with a 27-yard touchdown run from running back Breece Hall. Hall then lobbed the game-winning touchdown pass to Mason Taylor at the back of the end zone in the final minutes to set up victory.
Elsewhere on Sunday, the Denver Broncos maintained their impressive recent run of form with a 44-24 demolition of the Dallas Cowboys in Colorado. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw four touchdowns and finished with 247 yards from 19-of-29 completed passes. The Broncos lead the AFC West division with a 6-2 record. In other games, the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles overpowered the New York Giants 38-20, with quarterback Jalen Hurts tossing four touchdowns and Saquon Barkley rushing for another. The Eagles lead the NFC East with a 6-2 record.
The heavy Giants defeat was compounded by a serious injury to running back Cam Skattebo, who was carted off the field in the second quarter with a dislocated right ankle. “Feel absolutely terrible for the young man,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said. “I know the players feel the same way.”
The Buffalo Bills trampled the Carolina Panthers 40-9, but remained second in the AFC East standings behind the in-form New England Patriots, who improved to 6-2 with a 32-13 defeat of Cleveland. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tightened their grip on the NFC South with a 23-3 defeat of the New Orleans Saints. The Bucs lead the division at 6-2, with the Carolina Panthers second on 4-4. The San Francisco 49ers, meanwhile, stumbled to a 26-15 defeat to the Houston Texans on the road. The 49ers, whose season has been disrupted by a slew of injuries, fell to 5-3 for the season.
© 2024 AFP
