The Steelers have a long history of memorable moments throughout the years, and during the 2025 season we are going to highlight those moments against each week's opponent.
This week, we feature games against the Green Bay Packers.
Steelers 27, Green Bay Packers 20
November 9, 1998
Three Rivers Stadium
Monday Night Football always brings a different energy to a game and that was certainly the case in this wild game against the Packers.
The Steelers jumped out to a significant lead early, ahead 27-0 in the third quarter.
Quarterback Kordell Stewart hit receiver Charles Johnson for an eight-yard touchdown, then took it in himself from a yard out. A pair of Norm Johnson field goals and a five-yard touchdown run by running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, put the Steelers in what appeared to be a comfortable situation.
But there is never time to be comfortable.
The Packers came roaring back, scoring 20 unanswered points, including an 88-yard fumble return for a touchdown, to close the gap to 27-20 with 2:40 to play in the game.
With the ball back in their hands, Jerome Bettis did what he always does. He closed out the game with a 12-yard run on third-and-five, allowing the offense to go into victory formation.
"How big was this? This was huge," said Bettis, who had his seventh straight 100-yard game on Monday Night Football. "If we lose, we're two games behind (in the AFC Central). This was what we needed."
Steelers 20, Green Bay Packers 10
November 6, 2005
Lambeau Field
Troy being Troy.
It's something, even this early in his career, that Steelers Nation had become accustomed to from safety Troy Polamalu, and on this day, it paid off.
In a game that began with nothing but field goals early on, it was Polamalu who would turn the tide for the Steelers.
In the second quarter, cornerback Bryant McFadden sacked Packers quarterback Brett Favre for an 11-yard loss, forcing a fumble at the Steelers 23-yard line.
Polamalu was on the spot, picking it up and taking it 77 yards for a touchdown and 13-3 lead, which would be enough for the Steelers to hold on and pull out a 20-10 win.
"I missed the sack, which is very disappointing," said Polamalu after the game. "Bryant and I, like all the other defensive backs, we look out for each other, and we make up for each other's mistakes. He made a great play to cause the fumble. I saw the ball lying there, picked it up and ran."
Coach Bill Cowher knew with Ben Roethlisberger sidelined due to an injury, and the threat Favre is, coming up with a big play was a key.
"It is good fortune," said Cowher. "We came after Brett because you cannot allow him to stand back there. He is going to complete a ball. I'd rather do it, at least come after him.
"He is going to make some plays and the longer he sits back there, the more chance he has of finding a hole, and he has a cannon of an arm. We were fortunate today. We got a couple of balls that bounced our way, and we made the most of it. Brett Favre is what is right about the National Football League. I have nothing but tremendous respect for that guy."
Steelers 38, Green Bay Packers 31
December 22, 2013
Lambeau Field
Typical December weather was in effect in Green Bay, with snow and a wind chill of 11 degrees making the frozen tundra live up to its nickname.
But the action on the field was hot in an epic battle that came down to the wire.
"It was awesome, it was a game to remember," said defensive lineman Brett Keisel. "It'll be a game I can tell my kids about and be happy about. Playing against this team in this place, it's a really good feeling."
The Packers went into the game without starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and the Steelers defense made his replacement, Matt Flynn pay.
Green Bay got off to a 7-0 lead, but the Steelers came right back with a one-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Running back Eddie Lacy gave the Packers the lead back with his 14-yard run, and the Packers went into halftime up 14-10 after a Shaun Suisham field goal.
The game got interesting in the second half, when both teams took chances, and took advantage of mistakes.
The Steelers opening drive of the half appeared to have stalled, and on fourth-and-two from the Steelers 44-yard line punter Mat McBriar lined up in punt formation. In a move that surprised many, especially the Packers special teams unit, McBriar faked the punt and hit tight end David Paulson for a 30-yard gain. That gutsy called, topped with a roughing the passer penalty, gave the Steelers the ball at the Packers 13-yard line. Roethlisberger took it himself from there for a 13-yard run right up the middle to give the Steelers their first lead of the day, 17-14.
"I've had enough practice with it that I felt really good about it, and I think everyone else did too," said McBriar. "There were times a few weeks back maybe I was thinking 'this could be nuts,' but as you get more comfortable with something you are not used to doing, I felt better and better about it."
After the defense held the Packers, the Steelers had the ball back with momentum on their side. That would fade fast. After a Steelers fumble, and the Packers recovered and took over. The defense held their ground, forcing kicker Mason Crosby to come on for a field goal attempt. Defensive lineman Steve McLendon blocked the kick, but the Steelers were penalized for an illegal bat of the ball out of bounds by defensive lineman Ziggy Hood, and the drive continued. Lacy made the Steelers pay for the penalty, when he went around right tackle for a two-yard touchdown, putting them back on top, 21-17.
"That was maybe the craziest thing I have ever seen in 12 years of football," said Keisel. "Our guys make a big stand there and block the field goal and get it and you're thinking we are going to score, and it will be a different ball game, and some type of rule gives them the ball back and they score. Really a crazy play, but you have to give our whole team credit for continuing to fight and continuing to believe and doing the little things that really got us the win."
With the game on the line, and the Packers backed up in their own territory, safety Troy Polamalu came through like he always has in big moments. Polamalu tackled a scrambling Flynn, forcing a fumble, which Keisel recovered at the Packers 17-yard line. The Steelers hit pay dirt when Bell gave the Steelers a 38-31 lead on a one-yard touchdown.
Steelers 23, Green Bay Packers 19
November 12, 2023
Acrisure Stadium
Coach Mike Tomlin jokingly said it all when he opened his press conference following the Steelers 23-19 win over the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium.
"All right, that was easy," quipped Tomlin.
And rest assured, he was joking after the Steelers pulled out the last second win when safety Damontae Kazee intercepted Packers quarterback Jordan Love at the two-yard line on the final play of the game.
"Just another tight ball game," said Tomlin. "I'm just appreciative of the mindset of our group. They want to make significant plays in the significant moments and it's a good thing because these games are always tight.
"We had to settle for a few field goals. They played on the back of those two touchdown opportunities and so it was game on from there."
And when it was game on, the team was on in all facets of the game.
"I thought our bigs up front on offense did a really good job of controlling it," said Tomlin. "I thought we were able to run the ball effectively and that's a good posture to play from."
The Steelers had their best day of the year in the ground game with 205 yards rushing, with running back Jaylen Warren putting up 101 yards, his first 100-yard game, and fellow running Najee Harris adding 82 yards rushing.
"He just plays hard. He runs hard. He plays hard," said Tomlin of Warren. "He's a tough, hard-working young man. He's deserving of the recognition and the production that he's providing."
The defense came up with two huge interceptions, including Kazee's that sealed the win.
"We made the necessary splash plays on defense in the waning moments, when they got somewhat one-dimensional," said Tomlin. "They do a really good job of kind of keeping you off balance schematically and minimizing that young quarterback's exposure to a defense, but later in the game when it gets a little bit thick, I thought we would have our opportunities and we did and we made them, so excited about that."
On special teams, veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson came up huge with a blocked extra point on the Packers second touchdown of the game, which forced them to have to look for a touchdown and not kick a field goal for the tie in the closing seconds of the game.
"Pat was a rookie, and he had a reputation for doing that," said Tomlin. "We double cadenced him and I think we got him to jump offsides, and so this is not a new skill that he has. We've known about it for some time. We were playing him out in Arizona. I think we got him to jump offsides as a rookie and he and I had a little exchange, a laugh about it in-game. He's been a dynamic player in that area.
"I just love the spirit and wisdom that he brings. He is always a calming voice, a steadying presence. He works really well with Joey (Porter Jr.). When I'm talking to the group and I'm looking around, he's always giving you that knowing nod. It's just good to have a veteran player that's a quality human being like him because he is very much a component of raising some of the young ones that are contributing and contributing big."
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