NFL Week 8 is already here as fans prepare for another wild week of football madness. The first seven weeks have seen their fair share of both forgettable and memorable moments, all making for a season where it could be anyone's race. Gearing up for Week 8, we'll take a look at some bold predictions when the Green Bay Packers (4-1-1) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) in Aaron Rodgers' first game against his former team.
The Packers come into Week 8 following a 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals. With the win and their previous 40-40 tie against the Dallas Cowboys, the Packers are in a rare scenario, currently leading the NFC conference ahead of six other 5-2 teams. Green Bay comes into the game as 3.5-point favorites looking for back-to-back wins on the road.
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost a 33-31 heartbreaker against the Cincinnati Bengals in a memorable battle between Aaron Rodgers and Bengals QB Joe Flacco. Rodgers will face his former team for the first time since departing in 2023 and with the Steelers holding a divisional lead, this should be a big spot for them at home.
Packers Bold Predictions – Week 8
The Packers will face another deficit at halftime
As was the case with our bold predictions from Week 7, the Packers started slow against the Arizona Cardinals and hit the locker room trailing 6-13. Clearly, the team was feeling their lengthy flight delay heading into Glendale, but the offense clearly leaked stagnant at several points of the game with the defense not playing much better.
It took a three-sack day from Micah Parsons and 14 points in the fourth quarter for the Packers to win their game, a much tougher task than they had anticipated. Clearly, this Green Bay team can get going when they have their legs under them, but heading into another tough environment in Pittsburgh on PrimeTime could see some troubles.
Josh Jacobs has another 2 TD performance
Josh Jacobs extended his streak of two-touchdown performances in Week 7 against the Cardinals and he doesn't show any signs of stopping against the Steelers. Admittedly, the Steelers have improved their rushing defense since the beginning of the season and allowing only four scores on the ground. However, their passing defense ranks second-worst in the NFL, allowing 258.8 yards per game on average to opponents.
Because of this, Jordan Love and his receivers should be able to break through into Steelers' territory with big chunk plays down field. Love has never been afraid to take chances with his deep passing, so Green Bay should see ample opportunities from the red zone in what could be a high-scoring game. From inside the 20-yard line, Josh Jacobs has been a monster this season and if Green Bay finds themselves inside the five, Jacobs is almost guaranteed a touchdown.
Battling flu symptoms and the previously mentioned flight delay, Jacobs wasn't even operating at 100% and still managed to find the end zone twice. Don't be surprised if his touchdown streak continues here.
Rashan Gary will have the biggest impact on defense, not Micah Parsons
Micah Parsons was the main catalyst for the Packers defense against the Cardinals, notching three sacks in a game for the first time in his incredibly impressive career. Even though offensive lines have been sending double-teams for most of the season, Micah Parsons has managed to add a whole new depth to the Packers' defense with his constant pressures.
All while Parsons gets the attention from offenses, defensive captain Rashan Gary is also adding his elite pass rushing skills on the other end. Parsons and Gary have both record 5.5 sacks this season and rank within the top-10 league wide. It's been a nightmare to handle for opposing teams and the Steelers will be no different.
Furthermore, Aaron Rodgers isn't the most mobile quarterback at this point of his career, so the bull rush from both Packers' ends should be enough to collapse the pocket and force at least one sack. Personally, I think Rashan Gary will have two against his former quarterback.
The Packers will need a big fourth quarter to win, again.
Over their last three consecutive games, the Packers have scored 14 or more points in the fourth quarter, two of which can be considered “comeback” efforts. While Jordan Love has always been better later in the season and later in games, his team can't afford to play from behind once they start playing teams within their division again.
Nevertheless, Aaron Rodgers will be looking to sling the ball around the field and score some points on his former defense. There's a good chance the Packers could head into the fourth quarter trailing once again, so fans should hold their breath for another big quarter from Jordan Love and the receiving corps.
