In just two days, the Green Bay Packers will begin their 2021 season with a trip to Jacksonville for a Week 1 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
The Packers have Super Bowl aspirations, while the Saints want to get off on the right foot as they usher in a new era without quarterback Drew Brees. Jameis Winston will take over for the future Hall of Famer, and while Winston offers a strong arm, he also suffers from questionable decision-making.
Green Bay faced off against New Orleans in Week 3 of last season and came away with a 37-30 victory. Without wide receiver Davante Adams, the Packers were led by a stellar performance from Allen Lazard, who hauled in six receptions for a career-high 146 yards.
On the defensive side of things, Green Bay struggled to contain Alvin Kamara, who totaled 18 touches for 197 yards on the ground and through the air. Under new defensive coordinator Joe Barry, this new look Packers defense will definitely have their work cut out for them.
There will be plenty of matchups to watch for on Sunday. After a long and eventful offseason, many fans are looking forward to Aaron Rodgers defending his MVP crown. There is also a lot of uncertainty on what this defense will look like under a new scheme.
However, for now, we are focusing on specific matchups that fans will want to keep an eye on when these two teams take the field for Week 1. Let’s take a look.