Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy is a Pittsburgh guy. He grew up in Greenfield and kickstarted his coaching career at Pitt. He'll be making just his second trip to Heinz Field with the Packers when they play the Steelers on Sunday night.
But he remembers his last trip to Heinz Field for a far different reason. It just might have been the most memorable regular-season game in the history of the now 16-year-old stadium.
It was Dec. 20, 2009, and the Steelers were struggling at 6-7 on the heels of winning their sixth Super Bowl title the previous season, needing to win out and get some help to even have a chance at returning to the postseason. The Packers, meanwhile, strutted into the game at 9-4 and on a five-game winning streak led by a hotshot second-year starter at quarterback named Aaron Rodgers.
Nine lead changes later, including four in the fourth quarter, the shootout that took place was one for the ages.
Rodgers completed 26 of 48 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns, the last of which was a 24-yard pass to James Jones with 2:06 remaining in the game that gave the Packers a 36-30 advantage. Ben Roethlisberger, meanwhile, was every bit Rodgers' equal. He completed 29 of 46 passes for 503 yards and three touchdowns. Hines Ward caught seven passes for 126 yards, while Heath Miller had seven for 118 yards.
But the game wasn't decided until then-rookie Mike Wallace hauled in a pass along the left side of the end zone, practically laying out horizontally with the field while keeping his feet down as time expired to lift the Steelers to a victory once Jeff Reed added the extra point.
It was one of two touchdown catches in the game for Wallace, who also caught a 60-yard bomb from Roethlisberger just 42 seconds into the game.
But it was the final play everyone remembers, including McCarthy.
"The last play. I think we’ll all remember that, the throw from Ben to Mike Wallace," said McCarthy. "That was an offensive football game. I’m sure it was a fun game to watch. It was a fun game to coach in. The thing I was the most impressed with, because it’s the only time I’ve been there in the regular season, was the crowd and the atmosphere. It was a night game. I’m sure Sunday night will be very similar, just a great football atmosphere."
The Packers exacted revenge the next season in a much more important game, beating the Steelers, 31-25, in the Super Bowl, keeping Roethlisberger from a similar late-game comeback. In that game, Rodgers was again spectacular, throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns. He was named the game's MVP.
Today's game will mark the second time the two cross-conference teams will have played since those two meetings in back-to-back seasons. It also will mark the second consecutive time Rodgers won't be available to play, out with a shoulder injury. He missed a 2013 meeting at Lambeau Field with a shoulder injury. The Steelers won that game, 38-31.
And given that Roethlisberger is now 35 and Rodgers is 33, this might have been their last chance at a rubber match.
"As a quarterback, you never go against the other quarterback," Roethlisberger said when I asked if he was disappointed Rodgers would be out again. "But you're leading your offense against their offense. So you want to go out and try to out-duel one of the best. We're not going to get a chance to do that. It's kind of good and bad. Obviously, him being one of the best, you don't necessarily want him out there. But to be the best, you want to beat one of the best."
THE ESSENTIALS
• Who: Steelers (8-2) vs. Packers (5-5)
• When: 8:32 p.m.
• Where: Heinz Field
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Satellite: SiriusXM Channel 83 (Internet 826)
• Forecast: Flurries, 40, wind 10 WNW
• Lots open: 3:30 p.m.
• Will call open: 5:30 p.m.
• Gates open: 6:30 p.m.
• Boxscore: NFL Game Center
• Media notes: Steelers | Packers
• Odds: MyBookie.AG
THE INJURY REPORT
Steelers: CB Joe Haden (fibula, out), TE Vance McDonald (ankle, out), WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring, out) S Mike Mitchell (ankle, questionable)
Packers: RB Aaron Jones (knee, out), RB Ty Montgomery (ribs, doubtful), DT Kenny Clark (ankle, doubtful), LB Clay Matthews (groin), G Patrick Lucas (foot, questionable), CB Kevin King (shoulder, questionable), S Morgan Burnett (groin, questionable), C Corey Linsley (back, questionable), RB Devante Mays (ankle, questionable)
ROSTER MOVE
With Smith-Schuster out, the Steelers signed running back Fitzgerald Toussaint off their practice squad. To make room for Toussaint, the Steelers released running back/kick returner Terrell Watson.
It was an interesting move in that Smith-Schuster and Watson have handled all of the Steelers' kick return duties this season.
Toussaint handled kick return duties last season with little success. But the Steelers have been even worse this season, averaging an NFL-low 16.5 yards per return.
HALL OF HONOR
The Steelers will officially induct the 27 members of their inaugural Hall of Honor class at halftime Sunday.
The initial class includes the team's 23 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame: running back Jerome Bettis, cornerback Mel Blount, quarterback Terry Bradshaw, defensive back Jack Butler, center Dermontti Dawson, running back Bill Dudley, defensive tackle Joe Greene, linebacker Kevin Greene, linebacker Jack Ham, running back Franco Harris, running back John Henry Johnson, coach Walt Kiesling, linebacker Jack Lambert, quarterback Bobby Layne, running back/coach John (Blood) McNally, coach Chuck Noll, owner Arthur J. Rooney, Sr., owner Daniel M. Rooney, wide receiver John Stallworth, defensive tackle Ernie Stautner, wide receiver Lynn Swann, center Mike Webster and defensive back Rod Woodson.
It also includes running back/coach Dick Hoak, defensive end L.C. Greenwood, linebacker Andy Russell and safety Donnie Shell, who are not in the Hall of Fame.
The Steelers felt those four were important enough to the team's success over the years to include them in their first Hall of Honor class. There has long been a push for Greenwood, who died in 2013, Russell and Shell to all make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Shell, who had 51 career interceptions from 1974-87, told me he doesn't think about it any longer unless asked.
"It's a great honor to be included in this," said Shell, now the Director of Spiritual Life at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. "I'd like to thank the Rooney family for all they have done. I'd also like to thank the Lord for helping me as a free agent just to make it in the NFL. For the team to do this is great. ... I had a great career, more than I could ask for. In a way, this is even a bigger honor. This was voted on by your peers, by the team you played for. To me, that's a big deal."
THE TOP THREAT
Many would not see a quarterback who has thrown one touchdown pass in four starts since replacing an injured Rodgers in the starting lineup as much of a threat to the NFL's fourth-ranked defense. But the Steelers aren't taking things for granted against Green Bay's Brett Hundley.
That's especially true after Hundley played his worst game as a starter last weekend against Baltimore, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble while being sacked six times in a 23-0 loss.
“When you watch the film, we were moving the ball,” Hundley told Packers.com. “It’s not like we were three-and-out every time. We were moving it. It was just those mistakes.”
Hundley has thrown for more than 200 yards in each of his past three starts. And he had a completion percentage hovering around 70 percent in the two starts before the debacle against Baltimore. The Steelers also are wary of Hundley's ability to run the ball. Though he has thrown just two touchdown passes in five total games, he has run for two scores. They want to keep Hundley in the pocket and make him hold the ball.
"We're a fast defense," Keith Butler said. "We have real good speed on defense compared to the rest of the league. When guys are running to the ball, we cover up a lot of forest fires."
The Steelers are coming off a five-sack, four-interception game last week against Tennessee, but they haven't been perfect. Pittsburgh has allowed eight of its longest 10 pass plays this season in the past three games. It's one thing when quarterbacks such as the Lions' Matthew Stafford and the Titans' Marcus Mariota make big plays. It's another when Jacoby Brissett does it, as he did two weeks ago in a Pittsburgh win at Indianapolis.
Those are the "forest fires" of which Butler spoke.
"It’s all on us," Artie Burns said. "They’re trying to attack us, and we’ve got to execute better."
That would include both not allowing the ball to go over their head and tackling receivers after the catch.
"We’re not going to be a dominant group until we minimize big plays and we tackle better," Tomlin said.
THE MAIN MATCHUP
Nobody loves a prime time matchup quite like Antonio Brown. In fact, the Steelers' All-Pro receiver seems to relish playing in front of a national audience.
In the prime time victory against Tennessee, Brown caught 10 passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns. It gave him 13 touchdown catches in his past 10 games played at night, in addition to 60 receptions for 901 yards.
"I think he’s overworked," McCarthy joked of Brown. "If he wants to take a week off, this would be a good week for it."
That's not likely. Brown rarely even takes a day off in practice. In fact, he often stays well afterward, catching passes from a JUGS machine and running routes.
"Any time we have a chance in a prime time game, it's a great opportunity," Brown said. "I like that."
The Packers rank 16th in the league in pass defense, allowing 234 yards per game. But they also have faced a who's who list of NFL receivers.
Atlanta's Julio Jones had five receptions for 108 yards against the Packers in a Week 2 victory. Cincinnati's A.J. Green beat them with 10 receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown the following week. Minnesota's Adam Thielen had nine receptions for 96 yards against Green Bay in Week 6, while Michael Thomas of New Orleans had seven receptions for 82 yards in a win over the Packers.
That should bode well for Brown, who is tied with Thielen for the NFL lead in receptions with 70 -- though Thielen played on Thursday.
"He’s a special player," McCarthy said. "His numbers are outstanding."
Brown appreciates McCarthy's kind words. But he's not about to take his advice.
"That's a great compliment from him," Brown said. "He's been doing it a long time. I still haven't worked enough. I'm looking forward to (the game)."
THE QUOTES
"I will never forget that moment. That was him being the leader he is, the franchise quarterback, the possible Hall of Fame quarterback that he is. What he said in the locker room at that time, what he preached, if I ever had to talk about him, that’s what I would point to. I really noticed him there." -- Stephon Tuitt, on overhearing Roethlisberger imploring his offensive teammates to play better in the second half last week against Tennessee
"Yeah, according to my uncle and my grandpa. My dad was a big Packers fan. I went to a few games growing up. I know the atmosphere, I know Lambeau Field. I think Steelers Nation is better." -- T.J. Watt, when I asked if everyone in his native Wisconsin is a Packers fan
"You can’t turn the ball over. You can’t turn the ball over five times and still be in the game. That we were was really a testament to our special teams and defense. We have to take better care of the football no matter who we’re playing. And we definitely have to do that coming to Pittsburgh." -- McCarthy on the Packers' 23-0 shutout loss last week at home against Baltimore
THE TEN DATA POINTS
• Le'Veon Bell has had 90 or more yards from scrimmage in 11 consecutive home games.
• Green Bay receiver Davante Adams has nine touchdown catches in his past seven road games and has caught a touchdown pass in five consecutive road games.
• Ryan Shazier leads the Steelers with 79 tackles, 10 passes defensed, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. But he is the only member of the front seven who has yet to record a sack this season.
• Chris Hubbard will make his sixth start this season in place of Marcus Gilbert, who was suspended for four games by the league earlier this week after testing positive for PED use. The Steelers are 3-2 when Hubbard starts.
• Roethlisberger had 30 completions and four touchdowns with no interceptions against the Titans, the fourth time he has done so in his career. That ties him with Tom Brady for the second-most such games in NFL history. Drew Brees has done so an NFL-record seven times.
• Bell has gained 7,244 yards from scrimmage in his first five NFL seasons, a new team record. Harris had 7,242 yards from scrimmage in his first five seasons.
• Tomlin owns a 111-59-0 record and .653 regular season winning percentage, the second best among current coaches who have coached 50 games. McCarthy is third with a .642 winning percentage to go along with a 119-66-1 record. Bill Belichick leads the way with a .677 winning percentage.
• Chris Boswell is now the Steelers' all-time leader in field goal percentage among those with at least 30 career attempts. Boswell has made 88.1 percent of his field goals. Shaun Suisham (87.9 percent) is second.
• Tyler Matakevich leads the Steelers with 11 special teams tackles. Watt is second with seven. No other player has more than four.
• After allowing opponents to convert 41.15 percent of third downs in 2016, the Steelers are tied for fifth in the league at 33.3 percent this season.
THE SNEAKY FANTASY PLAY
Let's roll with Roethlisberger this week. That wouldn't be considered a sneaky play a couple of years ago, but Roethlisberger hasn't been throwing the ball around the lot the past two seasons as he did in 2014 and 2015, when he averaged more than 300 yards passing per game. In four home games this season, he's thrown for 1,078 yards - an average of 269.5 per game - with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. The five interceptions all came in a Week 5 loss to Jacksonville. Green Bay's defense isn't bad. But Roethlisberger is on fire. In his past six quarters, he's 42 of 61 for 463 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. That's a passer rating of 123.9.
THE MULTIMEDIA
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THE STAFF PICKS
Our football coverage team offers predictions:
Dale Lolley: After watching the Packers get shut out at home for the first time in 11 years last week against Baltimore and the Steelers put up 40 points against Tennessee, oddsmakers made Pittsburgh a two-touchdown favorite in this game. That's a lot of points in an NFL game. But Hundley was awful last week. He holds the ball too long and isn't sure of what he's seeing. The Steelers' defense is getting after the quarterback and will give him more looks than he can handle. That said, there would be some concern here if this was, say, a 1 p.m. game. But it's not and the Steelers are 19-3 in home prime time games with Roethlisberger at quarterback. Steelers, 34-10
Dejan Kovacevic: There's more to winning in the NFL than having an above-average quarterback, but not much more. Not when put into the context of the precipitous plunge most rosters take from starter to backup. It's a fact of football life: The franchise player goes down, and the season goes down with it. Are these Packers hopeless without Rodgers? Not at all. Though they've lost four of five, the only real dud came in the 23-0 loss at Baltimore last week. Otherwise, they hung in there with four teams -- Vikings, Saints, Lions, Bears -- holding a combined 26-16 record. Still ... wow, no. Steelers, 27-12
Matt Sunday: Brett Hundley falls right in line behind a string of amazing quarterbacks the Steelers have faced such as Jacoby Brissett, Mike Glennon and Case Keenum. Glennon is the only one of that group who ran away with a win — quite literally ran on the backs of the Bears' rushing duo — and that should remain the case when the Packers leave town early Monday morning. I expect to photograph another defensive celebration or two, and, hey ... maybe Miami left the 'turnover chain' behind in Pittsburgh in case Artie Burns gets in on the mix. Steelers, 37-17
Chris Carter: If the Steelers' defense comes out with their normal blitz packages and also manages to stop the run, the Packers' offense will have nowhere to go and eventually commit multiple turnovers. What really matters is that the Steelers' offense has to find a way to put points on the board early to force the Packers' hand and make them one-dimensional. Roethlisberger has looked like a more fired-up version of himself and could be on to something with his team's chemistry. Look for the Steelers to dissect the Packers' secondary and eventually give the ball to Bell so he can run loose. Look for another dominating performance from Tomlin's squad. Steelers, 41-9
