Green Bay's Ugly Wins Have Them Well Prepared For Aaron Rodgers And the Steelers

The Green Bay Packers may be frustrating to watch at times, yet the team currently sits atop the NFC.

Indeed, Green Bay can't seem to get out of its own way with penalties and other mistakes. Some personnel choices and play-calling decisions are odd, and the endings of games are particularly stressful. However, no team in the conference is without issues, and the Packers still have time to address some of their concerns.

This is a good football team finding ways to win, week after week. The victories may be ugly, they may come against inferior opponents, and the team may leave points off the board. Still, the Packers are one of the league's best.

Even with the mistakes, Green Bay is just one of two remaining teams to have just one loss. And their two non-wins were so close to victories. To put it another way, despite the frustrations of fans and the media (including myself), this is a good football team.

Ugly wins aren't always fun to watch, especially when compared to seeing the rival Detroit Lions compound points on inferior opponents. Still, they go in the W column while offering teachable moments. That keeps the locker room happy but craving more, which is ideal for coaches.

These experiences will force the team to keep evolving so that they can make a deep playoff run. And knowing how to win in ugly fashion will be crucial when the Packers face their former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday. Rodgers has seen it all and knows how to win in multiple ways. Green Bay's experiences this season have them well-equipped to handle the Steelers in what should be another wild game.

In all four of their victories, Green Bay scored 27 points while not consistently featuring a single player as “the guy.” Josh Jacobs leads the team in touchdowns with eight, but everyone has contributed to the passing attack. Tucker Kraft and Romeo Doubs each have four touchdowns, but Matthew Golden and Dontayvion Wicks are also getting yards. Jordan Love has been efficient and is using his legs to make plays. With luck, Christian Watson will be back in the fold soon.

Love and the offense find ways to score and win, regardless of the enemy's game plan. It isn't always pretty, but the beauty of football is finding those unexpected routes to victory and overcoming adversity while punching back.

Defensively, the team has been trending in the wrong direction after a dominant start, but it is still doing enough to win.

Against the Cardinals, Micah Parsons had his best game with the Packers, getting sacks at crucial moments while constantly pressuring the quarterback. Rashan Gary shifted momentum with a forced fumble. Jeff Hafley's group might have trouble between the 20s, but it shows up best in the red zone, despite some blips.

Even special teams sometimes helps. We can hold them accountable for the game-altering mistakes that led to the loss to the Cleveland Browns and the tie with the Dallas Cowboys. Rich Bisaccia's group isn't off the hook for that.

However, those gaffes forced the Packers to play their veterans on kick protection, a move that has already benefited the team. This unit still makes too many mistakes, but it did put backup kicker Lucas Havrisik in position to nail a franchise-record 61-yard field goal to soften the blow of the Arizona Cardinals' late first-half touchdown and build momentum for the second half.

The point is that this is an imperfect team, but so is every squad in the NFL. While other teams flounder, the Packers are finding new ways to win each week. Watching some of the particularly bad teams this week (we had the Miami Dolphins game on cable...) provided perspective on where the Packers stand in the overall NFL landscape. And it's toward the top, even if they make me use swear words while I watch them.

The Packers head to Pittsburgh this week in one of the highlight games of the NFL season. Matt LaFleur might downplay the narrative of facing his old quarterback, but this game is huge for the NFL's narrative.

Rodgers is the oldest player in the NFL, and coach Mike Tomlin has been with the Steelers for 19 seasons. This duo that's seen just about everything the NFL has to offer, and they're doing well.

Pittsburgh is 4-2, with their most recent loss a wild back-and-forth on Thursday Night Football. Even at 41 years old, Rodgers can still sling the ball. He attempted a Hail Mary, his signature. While it fell incomplete, it still traveled 69.8 yards in the air. It's the longest pass attempted since 2017. With time, Rodgers can still stretch the field.

He's just as dangerous with quick passes, leading the NFL in passer rating on throws in 2.5 seconds or less, a noteworthy achievement after quick passing attacks have carved up the Packers over the last two weeks. Rodgers still knows how to beat you in multiple ways.

Rodgers still has love for his old team, but he certainly wants to win this matchup. This is a dangerous veteran opponent seeking glory in the final days of his career, even if he'll be wearing the ugliest uniforms of all time.

For Green Bay to leave Pittsburgh with a win, they'll need to lean on everything they've learned this season. The film from their wins contains so many areas of improvement and coachable moments. The Packers are a winning team still trying to play their best football. They won't head into Rodgers' turf with bloated egos. They'll lean on every asset they have to try to outlast the wily veteran and his esteemed head coach.