Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers each tried to minimize their highly anticipated matchup within the Green Bay Packers-Pittsburgh Steelers Week 8 primetime showdown. However, Jordan Love took a different approach, instead embracing the atmosphere and using it as fuel for arguably the best performance of his career.
Love made it known he was looking forward to facing his former mentor, Aaron Rodgers, heading into Green Bay's 35-25 road win over the Steelers. The competitor in the Packers' current franchise centerpiece ostensibly had this game marked on his calendar since the schedule release in May, and it showed.
Not only did Love torch Pittsburgh, but the 2020 first-round pick did what he admittedly set out to do: spoil Rodgers' shot at NFL history.
"It's definitely special," Love told NBC's Melissa Stark during his postgame interview about beating the Steelers and raining on Rodgers' parade. "Sunday Night Football ... we knew it was going to be a hyped up game all week, going against A-Rod, so I'm glad we just came in here and handled business."
Jordan Love delivers a clear message to Aaron Rodgers with primetime statement
If the dominant performance on the field was proof, Love wanted to beat his predecessor — badly. However, it wasn't because he wanted to leave no doubt about Green Bay's once-polarizing decision to pivot to him. He was driven by ensuring Rodgers didn't become the fifth quarterback ever to beat all 32 teams.
Taking care of business in Pittsburgh is an understatement; Love was being humble. He was dialed in, completing 20 straight passes at one point, a milestone Rodgers has notably never reached (h/t Andy Herman of Packer Report). By all accounts, the motivation factor was real.
Rodgers confronted the organization he represented and led to prominence for 18 years for the first time as an opponent. Thus, giving him a chance to join four of the league's greatest passers ever, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Brett Favre, in rarefied air. Nevertheless, Love and the Packers had other plans, overcoming a 16-7 halftime deficit to prevail at Pittsburgh's Acrisure Stadium.
Going 29-of-37 passing yielded Love 360 yards and a 134.2 passer rating, each good for his second-highest single-game outputs, plus three touchdowns. He also led the Packers to their first victory in Pittsburgh since football legend Bart Starr was under center for them in 1970.