It was a game of the past vs. the present. The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ QB Aaron Rodgers battled hard against his former mentee, Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love. But the team lost by 35-25. Yet, the highlight of the game was the fans who traveled from Wisconsin to Pittsburgh.

Many of the 67,386 fans at the Acrisure Stadium supported the visiting team with chants of “Go, Pack, Go.” It might not have been surprising for the veteran who was once the star of the franchise. Yet, it forced him to change his plan. Aaron Rodgers admitted that he used the silent count in a home game after a long time.

Yet, he showed respect for the supporters of his previous team. “Packers fans travel really well,” the veteran said. This 5-word message was his way of saying that the Packers’ fans made things easy for them. During his 18 years in Green Bay, Rodgers often made defenders jump early with his voice changes and fake snaps.

“I was telling the rookies, all my rookie year he was getting me off hard counts,” defensive tackle Rashan Gary said. “So, that’s got to be something where we’ve got to be patient because he has a wonderful cadence. Preparing for him now, it’s even crazier seeing it. What I’ve been seeing him do is what I’ve been seeing ‘12’ do, only now he’s wearing ‘8’.”

The Packers drafted Gray in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft (12th overall). So, he practiced with the veteran for 4 years. But on October 26, the fans did half the job for them.

Rodgers learned his cadence style (Green 19) years ago from coach Mike Holmgren and QB Brett Favre, then added his own twists over time. He became known for using many different snap counts and keeping them secret from everyone, even his teammates. But in week 8, he was forced to use visual cues to signal snap to his linemen.

In the end, the Packers’ fans returned happy as their team won the game by 35-25.

Aaron Rodgers loses the Week 8 game

Packers QB Jordan Love led the Packers with one of his best games of the season. He completed 29 of 37 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns. His throws were sharp and accurate, and he was never sacked. Aaron Rodgers had a quieter night. He completed 24 of 36 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. While he did not throw any interceptions, he was under more pressure and got sacked three times for a loss of 17 yards.

The Packers ran the ball 26 times for 94 yards and one touchdown. RB Emanuel Wilson led with 61 yards on 11 carries, showing good burst on a few runs. RB Josh Jacobs finished with 33 yards and one touchdown. Overall, Green Bay’s ground game helped balance the offense, but most of the damage came through the air.

The Steelers’ rushing attack was more efficient, even without scoring a touchdown. RB Jaylen Warren led with 62 yards on 13 carries, while RB Kenneth Gainwell added 31 yards on five carries. Together, Pittsburgh ran for 93 yards on 18 carries. But the Packers’ receivers were dominant.

Tight end Tucker Kraft was the top target, catching 7 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns, including a 59-yard play. The Steelers’ receiving game was solid but less explosive. WR Roman Wilson caught 4 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown, but the team finished with 219 receiving yards.

Besides all these, Love had a heartwarming talk with Aaron Rodgers after the game. He even wanted the veteran’s jersey, but the plan was postponed. It wasn’t a revenge game for A-Rod, but the loss will definitely force him to alter his strategy.