Packers vs. Steelers score, takeaways: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay hand Pittsburgh third consecutive loss

Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin exchanged smiles in the first half, but Rodgers was the only one smiling after the Packers rolled to a 27-17 win over the visiting Steelers. The reigning MVP threw two touchdowns and ran for another as Green Bay is now 3-1 through four games. Conversely, the Steelers -- who took an early 7-0 lead -- lost their third straight game to fall to 1-3. 

Green Bay withstood Pittsburgh's early punches that included the Steelers' first game-opening scoring drive in 14 games. Ben Roethlisberger's 45-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson was Big Ben's 400th career touchdown pass. The Packers countered with three first-half scoring drives and two unanswered scores in the third quarter. Rodgers -- who tied the game with a four-yard run in the second quarter -- gave the Packers their first lead after hitting Randall Cobb for a 23-yard touchdown. 

After taking a 17-10 halftime lead, Green Bay's lead swelled to 17 points when Rodgers and Cobb connected again for a 1-yard score with five minutes left in the third quarter. Cobb, who on Sunday recorded his first multi-touchdown game in six years, was money on third down, as the 11-year veteran caught four passes on third-down plays. 

It was another rough outing for Roethlisberger, who had one interception. He also misfired on two passes to JuJu Smith-Schuster that would have been touchdowns. Pittsburgh also saw Minkah Fitzpatrick's touchdown on a blocked field goal wiped out after cornerback Joe Haden jumped offsides.  

Here's a closer look at what went down at Lambeau Field. 

Why the Packers won  

Green Bay dominated in all three phases. On offense, the Packers piled up 23 first downs and 369 total yards. They were excellent on third down, converting on 9 of their 15 tries. As mentioned above, Cobb was Rodgers' go-to receiver on third down; his first touchdown came on a 3rd-and-10 play. Rodgers' passing was complemented by running backs AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones. Dillon rumbled for 81 yards on 15 carries, while Jones had 99 total yards on 18 touches.

The Packers defense held Pittsburgh to just 4 of 11 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down. Green Bay received two field goals from Mason Crosby that included a 26-yard chip shot that gave the Packers a seven-point halftime lead. One of the only negatives from Sunday's game was that cornerback Jaire Alexander exited with a shoulder injury. 

Why the Steelers lost  

Pittsburgh's offense continues to struggle. While Najee Harris rushed for 62 yards, no other Pittsburgh player gained a single yard on the ground. The Steelers' offensive line allowed two sacks of Roethlisberger, whose second quarter sack/fumble set up the Packers' go-ahead score. Roethlisberger passed Brett Favre on Sunday as the second-most sacked quarterback in league history. 

The Steelers defense did a good enough job containing Davante Adams, who caught six passes for 64 yards. But they were unable to contain the rest of Green Bay's playmakers. The unit did receive a solid afternoon from T.J. Watt, who had two sacks and a forced fumble of Rodgers. Pittsburgh's offense received another solid outing from Johnson, who led both teams with 92 yards on nine receptions. Harris scored his first-career rushing touchdown on Pittsburgh's second-to-last offensive possession. 

Turning point 

Decided underdogs, the Steelers would need an unexpected big play in order to pull off an upset. It looked like Pittsburgh got that coveted play when Fitzpatrick scooped up his own blocked field goal and ran untouched into the Packers' end zone. The celebration was short lived, however, as the officials determined that Haden had jumped offsides. Instead of a 17-14 halftime lead, Pittsburgh trailed 17-10 at intermission. Green Bay proceeded to pad its lead with consecutive third-quarter scores. 

Play of the game 

Packers fans are still wondering whether or not Rodgers would have been able to run for a score on the crucial third-down play in last year's NFC Championship Game. While he had a clearer lane to the end zone Sunday, Rodgers' game-tying touchdown run Sunday was still impressive. With his receivers blanketed and his pocket collapsing, Rodgers spotted clear running space on the left side of the Steelers defense. Rodgers then outran Watt to pay dirt. 

Quotable 

"It's different playing with a guy that knows how to play slot receiver. Davante can do it all; he can play at any position, and he's an All-Pro. But being able to keep him outside and let Cobb work in the middle was the reason that I was really happy we got him. Nobody's happier [that Cobb is back in Green Bay] than probably him and his wife." Rodgers said CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson about Cobb's impact on the Packers offense. 

"For me personally, it's making those throws. I missed a couple of throws tonight. I was dropping my elbow down, and when you drop elbow, the ball isn't as accurate. That's just on me to make the better throws. We had some plays. We had some guys open on the sidelines early. Probably throwing the ball faster than I want to at times, but at the end of the day, you have to make better throws." -- Roethlisberger when asked to identify what are the main issues with Pittsburgh's offense.  

Big Ben, Rodgers pass Marino in record book 

Rodgers' second touchdown pass to Cobb put him in a tie with Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino for sixth all-time with 420 touchdown passes. Late in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger's 30-yard completion to James Washington moved him ahead of Marino for sixth all-time in career passing yards. Marino, the 1984 league MVP, retired in 1995 as the NFL's all-time leader in both categories.  

'96 Packers celebrated 

The Packers celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Super Bowl XXXI champion Packers at halftime. The '96 Packers rolled to a 13-3 regular season record en route to blowout wins over the 49ers and Panthers in the NFC playoffs. Brett Favre scored three touchdowns against the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI, while MVP Desmond Howard's 99-yard kickoff return sealed Green Bay's 35-21 win. Reggie White led the Packers' defensive charge with three sacks. 

What's next  

Green Bay will head to Cincinnati to take on a Bengals team that is 3-1 following consecutive wins over the Steelers and Jaguars. Four of the Packers' next five games are away from Lambeau Field. The Steelers will return home to face the Broncos, who fell to 3-1 following Sunday's 23-7 loss to the Ravens. 

Check out our live blog below to relive Sunday's action in real time.