Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb Power Packers Past Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers

Wide receiver Randall Cobb scored a pair of touchdowns to help the Green Bay Packers defeat the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17 on Sunday in Lambeau Field.

Cobb caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to give the Packers a 13-7 edge with 10:55 remaining in the second quarter. He added a one-yard catch with 4:46 left in the third quarter for a 26-10 lead.

Rodgers finished the game 20-of-36 with 248 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a four-yard touchdown run to help tie the game at seven.

His counterpart, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, struggled to the tune of 26-of-40 passing, 232 yards, one score and one interception.

The 3-1 Packers have won three straight, and the 1-3 Steelers have lost three in a row.

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Notable Performances

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger: 26-of-40 passing, 232 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Steelers RB Najee Harris: 15 carries, 62 rushing yards, 1 TD; 6 catches, 29 receiving yards

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson: 9 catches, 92 receiving yards, 1 TD

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers: 20-of-36 passing, 248 yards, 2 TD; 1 rushing TD

Packers RB AJ Dillon: 15 carries, 81 rushing yards; 1 catch, 16 receiving yards

Packers WR Randall Cobb: 5 catches, 69 receiving yards, 2 TD

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Randall Cobb's 3rd-Down Efforts Propel Packers to Victory

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst all but admitted that the team brought Cobb, who played in Green Bay from 2011 to 2018, back to Lambeau Field because Rodgers wanted him there.

"I think that's a big part of it," Gutekunst told reporters on July 29 after the Packers acquired Cobb from the Houston Texans.

"Obviously without Aaron, I don't think we would probably be pursuing that. Randall's still a really good player. Seeing him last night just kind of reminded me what an impact he'll have in our locker room and for our football team.

"But this was a very important thing for Aaron, and that's why we did it."

Cobb only saw five targets through three games, but his number was called early and often Sunday.

The 31-year-old was particularly helpful on third down, with the former Kentucky star converting a pair of them on the Packers' first scoring drive. An eight-yard catch on 3rd-and-6 from the Pittsburgh 34-yard line was soon followed by a 12-yarder from 3rd-and-4 from the Steelers 20. Eventually, Rodgers ended the drive with his touchdown run.

Cobb's third-down magic wasn't over yet. On the next drive, he and Rodgers connected for another score from 23 yards out.

It was more of the same in the third quarter: Facing a 3rd-and-7 from their own 28-yard line, Rodgers found Cobb for 25 yards.

That half-opening drive culminated in a Mason Crosby field goal for a 20-10 lead.

Cobb didn't do all his damage on third down, with his second score occurring on 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

But the veteran gave the Steelers problems all day en route to a comfortable victory. Rodgers is certainly happy to have him back in town, but the rest of the Packers undoubtedly are as well following their resounding win.

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Steelers Offense Sputters with No Answers in Sight

The Pittsburgh offense couldn't have started any better after Roethlisberger fired his 400th career touchdown pass into the waiting hands of Dionte Johnson, who scampered across the goal line for an early 6-0 edge.

That play went for 45 yards. Pittsburgh failed to execute a drive of more than 41 yards until late in the fourth quarter after Harris finished off a 65-yarder with a one-yard run.

Between those drives, pretty much nothing went right, symbolizing a season-long trend.

Pittsburgh did enter this game without starting wideout Chase Claypool (hamstring), who led the team with 15 catches and 211 receiving yards through two games.

But the Steelers were largely inept offensively in the game's final 55 minutes, scoring just three points before the late Harris TD.

Their next two drives following the Johnson TD ended after three plays and finished with a punt and a fumble, respectively. The fumble, which was caused by a Kingsley Keke sack, led to Green Bay's second touchdown.

The Steelers then got something going by peppering the Packers with short passes, notably wide receiver James Washington taking one for 17 yards.

However, the drive stalled out before the Steelers could hit the Packers' 30-yard line, and Chris Boswell ended it with a 52-yard field goal.

The second half was largely a disaster, with two drives ending on downs and another two finishing with punts to start.

A lack of explosive moments hindered Pittsburgh, who only had one play over 17 yards. Roethlisberger felt the heat from the Packers' pass rush, and the Harris-led running game had a below-average day (3.9 yards per carry).

The panic button has already been firmly pressed in Pittsburgh, with 4.9 yards per play (26th in the league) and 16.7 points per game (28th) representing the team's floundering state.

However, the immediate outlook is bleak. Pittsburgh doesn't play a team that currently has a losing record until Nov. 14 (0-4 Detroit Lions). In fact, only two losing teams currently exist on the Steeler slate, with the 1-3 Minnesota Vikings waiting on Dec. 9.

In sum, this was yet another disappointing loss for Pittsburgh, which is now sitting in the AFC North basement looking up at a trio of 3-1 teams in the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

If the Steelers don't turn this around soon, they may find themselves in the unusual position of playing out the string of a lost season before Thanksgiving.

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What's Next?

Both teams will play next on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

The Steelers will visit the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers will host the Denver Broncos at Heinz Field.