Mike McCarthy won’t ever admit it, but that was a moral victory Sunday night.

In unquestionably Brett Hundley’s best game since Aaron Rodgers’ injury, the Packers ultimately came up just short in Pittsburgh, losing to the Steelers, 31-28, on a last-second field goal that ruined their upset bid. But even though it was still just yet another defeat – Green Bay’s fifth in six games without Rodgers, which dropped it to 5-6, the first time the team has been below .500 this season – the performance was at least encouraging, and a huge improvement over the previous week.

Unfortunately, that also means that in a game where just about everything went right for them and the Packers played practically as well as they could without their star quarterback, they still lost.

In a game before which Rodgers was shown on television throwing passes during warmups, the improved play of the Green Bay offense suggested that – if the two-time MVP does return later this season, and with winnable games coming up against Tampa Bay and Cleveland – perhaps Hundley can indeed hold down the fort for a few more weeks.

Hundley completed 17 of 26 passes for 245 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers for a career-high 134.3 rating, outplaying Steelers counterpart Ben Roethlisberger and doing a darn good Rodgers impression. The Packers, 14-point underdogs coming into the primetime matchup in Pittsburgh, hung around until the very last play, a 53-yard field goal kicked by Chris Boswell that sealed the game and extended the Steelers’ six-game winning streak.

After being shut out last week in an embarrassing home blowout to the Baltimore Ravens, Hundley looked like a different QB Sunday. The Packers scored on their first two series, with Hundley leading a six-play, 60-yard opening drive that ended with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb, and then a 50-second possession a few minutes later that culminated with Jamaal Williams’54-yard scoring reception.

The rookie running back also led a dedicated ground effort, carrying 21 times for 66 yards and a touchdown. But it was Williams’ late mistake that might have been partly to blame for Pittsburgh having the chance to kick the winning field goal, as he went out of bounds on a fourth-quarter run, allowing the Steelers to preserve their timeouts. But, really, most of the blame should be – once again – put on the defense, which gave up 462 total yards, almost twice as many first downs (28 to 15) and seven more minutes of possession time (33:36 to 26:24). And, when the Packers desperately needed a stop on Pittsburgh’s final drive, they couldn’t get the job done.

The Steelers committed three turnovers to Green Bay’s zero, but the Packers didn’t score off of either of the hosts’ second-half giveaways. Pittsburgh All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown, who finished with 10 catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns, made an incredible sideline catch on his team’s final drive, helping get Boswell close enough to attempt the clutch field goal. Running back Le’Veon Bell was typically excellent, totaling 183 yards from scrimmage, while Roethlisberger finished with 351 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

As two-touchdown underdogs, on the road, with a heretofore struggling backup quarterback, Green Bay played well in Pittsburgh. They just didn’t play well enough to win.

Who starred

Hundley finally showed why he, his coaches and teammates have continued to express the utmost confidence in him on Sunday night. The third-year quarterback was composed and in command at the line of scrimmage, poised in the pocket and accurate delivering throws to his wide receivers – especially to Davante Adams, who had five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. His 9.4 yards per attempt were a season high, and a reflection of the more aggressive, vertical passing game plan.

Who stunk

The Packers special teams didn’t do them many favors Sunday. Kicker Mason Crosby missed a 57-yard field goal in the third quarter – admittedly a very difficult attempt, but one that resulted in Pittsburgh scoring a tying touchdown soon after – and that was his only chance. Meanwhile, returner Trevor Davis continued to take kickoffs out of the end zone that would have been better off as touchbacks, averaging just 19.7 yards on three returns, with a 23-yard long that didn’t even get Green Bay to the 25, where it would have started if he’d just taken a knee. Without Rodgers, the Packers’ margin for error is razor-thin, so they need all the field-position help they can get.

McCarthy score

Somehow, McCarthy and his staff helped Hundley become someone new, different and better than he was before. The game plan was effective, as Green Bay leaned heavily on Williams and the run game, while letting Hundley air out a few long balls when he had the opportunity. The decision to have Crosby attempt the 57-yard field goal seems like a mistake in hindsight, but at the time McCarthy was trying to be aggressive. Despite the long odds and adversity, the head coach had his team prepared and fired up to play in Pittsburgh. Seven heads.

Good quote

"I'm not going to let one game define me. … I didn't like the way I played last week and made sure it didn't happen again." – Brett Hundley

Great photo

Encouraging thing

Considering the quality of the opponent – the 9-2 Steelers are tied for the third-best record in the NFL – this was the Packers’ best performance without Rodgers. It showed they can actually compete without him, which is notable if they still have any playoff hopes, because Rodgers can’t come back off of injured reserve until Week 15. A Green Bay win would have sent shockwaves through the league.

Alarming thing

With the loss, the Packers continued to fade further out of the postseason picture. They’re now in ninth place in the NFC , two games behind the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks for the conference’s sixth playoff spot. Even if Green Bay wins its next two games, it might be too far out when Rodgers is eligible to come back in Carolina.

Looking ahead

And speaking of the schedule, the Packers are looking at two favorable weeks coming up. On Sunday, they host the 4-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field (noon on FOX), and the following week they’re at Cleveland to play the 0-11 Browns. Green Bay closes the season on the road against the Panthers, at home for the Minnesota Vikings and at the Detroit Lions.