Tag: matchups

Packers vs. Bills: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 8

Highlighting four key matchups for the Packers when they face the Bills in primetime in Week 8.

The Green Bay Packers have been double-digit underdogs only twice since Aaron Rodgers took over as the starting quarterback in 2008. Rodgers missed both games due to injury but is expected to play this Sunday night when the Packers face the Buffalo Bills in primetime.

Rodgers is no stranger to having his back against the wall, and that is where he finds himself with Green Bay falling to 3-4 after three straight losses. But his next opponent is a legitimate Super Bowl contender, led by an MVP candidate at quarterback in Josh Allen.

Rodgers and Allen faced off only one other time in 2018, with the Packers coming out on top 22-0. Allen was in his rookie season and making his fourth career start for the Bills.

This Buffalo team is much better, with very few flaws. Meanwhile, Green Bay looks more like the rebuilding team the Bills were four years ago, and Sunday could be a season-defining game for them. If the Packers lay down and take a beating it could set the tone for a disastrous season. However, if they at least look competitive and put up a fight, it could help save their season.

Either way, winning is a long shot.

If Green Bay does hope to pull off an upset, they will need to win some of their key matchups. Let’s highlight four as we head into the weekend.

Packers vs. Commanders: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 7

The key matchups to watch when the Packers take on the Commanders in Week 7.

Are the Green Bay Packers (3-3) closer to finding their identity, or will their confidence continue to wane coming off consecutive losses? We will know more this Sunday when they travel to take on the Washington Commanders (2-4).

This week is the same story as the previous two. The Packers have the upper hand on paper but are very much capable of losing if their execution continues to flounder.

As always, let’s look at three key matchups which could very well decide the outcome of this Week 7 meeting.

Packers vs. Jets: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 6

Four matchups to watch when the Packers take on the Jets in Week 6.

For the second straight week, the Green Bay Packers are favored against a team from New York. We saw how well that worked out last week in London against the Giants. A week later, it’s the 3-2 New York Jets traveling to Lambeau Field to play the 3-2 Packers.

When the NFL schedule was released, most people penciled this game in as a win for Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers is 3-0 in his career against the Jets, and the Packers clearly have the better personnel advantage. However, as we saw in Week 5, talent will only get you so far.

Even though Green Bay has a better roster, they still have to execute. New York is a team on the rise, and much like the Giants were at 3-1, they will be confident on the heels of two straight wins. This Jets franchise finally has a glimmer of hope and is not about to roll over when they could have their first winning season since 2015.

The Packers, meanwhile, have a standard to uphold. They are supposed to beat teams like New York without a ton of stress. However, this Green Bay team may need to win ugly until they find the right formula.

That said, expect to see a close battle on Sunday. All three of Rodgers’ games against New York have been decided by less than 10 points.

Per usual, this one could very well come down to some key matchups, so here are four to keep a close eye on.

Packers vs. Giants: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 5

The Packers run defense against Giants RB Saquon Barkley highlights the matchups to watch in Week 5.

It’s London week, and the (3-1) Green Bay Packers are set to face the (3-1) New York Giants on Sunday.

This will be Green Bay’s first trip across the pond, while New York has played there twice since the international slate began in 2007. Perhaps that doesn’t give the Giants much of an advantage, but it is significant, considering the Packers have had trouble playing in different time zones.

On paper, Green Bay is the better team, which is why they are 7.5-point favorites despite New York’s No. 1 rushing offense.

If the Packers hope to win, their run defense better show up against one of the most talented running backs in the game in Saquon Barkley. The Giants will do their best to set the pace through their ground attack. Meanwhile, the Packers will need to do everything they can to make Daniel Jones beat them.

Offensively, the Packers would be wise to also stick to the ground attack. New York’s defense has allowed at least 145 rushing yards in three straight games. We may see two teams pound the rock on Sunday, and whichever team does it best could come out on top.

Starting with Barkley going up against a vulnerable run defense, let’s highlight four key matchups in this week 5 meeting.

Packers vs. Patriots: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 4

Highlighting four important matchups when the Packers host the Patriots in Week 4.

The Green Bay Packers will face the New England Patriots on Sunday, but head coach Bill Belichick still isn’t sure who his starting quarterback will be. Regular starter Mac Jones is still recovering from a high ankle sprain suffered in last week’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. If he is unable to play, his replacement will be Brian Hoyer, who Packers head coach Matt LaFleur offered tons of praise for earlier in the week.

“Brian Hoyer is a guy I’ve got a lot of respect for,” LaFleur said. “My brother was on that staff in Cleveland when he was a starter, and they had him again when he was in San Francisco as well. I remember watching a lot of the cut-ups from the ’14 season, and you could make the case and take all his great plays he made, and you would have thought he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league.”

Jones has struggled in his second year as the starter. Through the first three games, he has already thrown five interceptions, and his passer rating is the second lowest in the league, only ahead of Justin Fields. Even if Jones does sit out, the Patriots offense shouldn’t see much of a drop-off.

Sunday’s game should be another chance for Green Bay’s defense to gain some confidence. Offensively, the Packers should continue to lean on their run game, seeing that the Patriots have been much better at defending the pass through the first three games.

Green Bay is the clear favorite to win this game, but facing a team coached by Belichick presents plenty of challenges. Aaron Rodgers is 1-1 as a starter against Belichick, but this is the first time the two will meet without Tom Brady.

The Packers hope to improve to 3-1 before heading to London, while New England needs a win to avoid falling to 1-3. Expect to see two well-coached teams take the field on Sunday with some intriguing matchups. Here are four key ones to keep an eye on.

Packers vs. Buccaneers: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 3

Four big matchups to watch when the Packers take on the Buccaneers in Week 3.

The Green Bay Packers haven’t started a season 1-2 since 2014. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are seeking their first 3-0 start in 17 years. One of those streaks will have to give when these two teams face each other in Week 3.

Naturally, most of the focus will be on Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. After all, it’s a meeting between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks who have combined to win seven MVP awards. Sunday will mark the first game in NFL history in which both starting quarterbacks have at least three.

Even though most of the attention will be on the starting quarterbacks, it’s the defenses that could decide the outcome. Tampa Bay’s defense has looked dominant through the first two games, leading the league in sacks and points allowed. Green Bay’s defense has been solid so far, but leaning on them has more to do with the offense still trying to find its identity.

Not to mention, both teams are growing very thin at wide receiver. Mike Evans is serving a suspension, while Chris Godwin and Julio Jones are in jeopardy of missing their second straight game due to injuries. The Buccaneers could be without their top three guys, and for the Packers, four of their wide receivers were held out of Thursday’s practice. Head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Friday that all four are expected to be game-time decisions.

Could Brady vs. Rodgers really be a defensive battle? That would certainly favor Tampa Bay, but Green Bay does have two stud running backs that could carry them to victory. Let’s take a look at four key matchups to look forward to in this week’s game, starting with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon going up against an extremely talented defense.

Everything you need to know going into Week 2’s Saints vs. Buccaneers kickoff

Score predictions, key matchups, and the content we’re proudest of this week. Everything you need to know going into Week 2’s Saints vs. Buccaneers kickoff:

We’ve got it all. Score predictions, key matchups, expert picks and betting lines, plus all of the content we’re proudest of this week. Here is everything you need to know going into Week 2’s kickoff between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

NFL Week 2: Reasons to watch each game, starting with Saints-Bucs

Here’s why you should watch each game on the Week 2 slate, from Chiefs-Chargers to Vikings-Eagles — and Saints-Bucs

Week 1 provided plenty of excitement, from thrilling upsets by the Steelers and Seahawks to the Saints’ fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Falcons. Many of the projected top teams established themselves as just that, including the Bills, Chiefs, Chargers and Bucs, but there’s still a long way to go this season.

Heading into Week 2, there are plenty of intriguing matchups for fans to watch. The Packers and Bears will square off in a rivalry game in the NFC North, and the Chiefs will take on the Chargers with an early lead in the AFC West on the line.

Here’s why you should watch each of the 16 games on the slate in Week 2.

Packers vs. Vikings: 4 key matchups to watch in the 2022 season opener

The best matchups to watch when the Packers face the Vikings in the season opener on Sunday.

The Green Bay Packers’ 2022 regular season opener is just days away. It doesn’t get much bigger than this as they are prepared to play one of their biggest rivals in the Minnesota Vikings, who are also presumably their biggest threat to the NFC North crown.  

The Packers have won the division three straight years under head coach Matt LaFleur. Meanwhile, the Vikings would love to hold that distinguished title for the first time since 2017. Their hope is that the hiring of Kevin O’Connell to lead a talented offense will produce a similar result to the one LaFleur had at the start of his regime in 2019.  

It goes without saying, but Green Bay could use a better start than the one they had last season. The Packers lost to the New Orleans Saints 38-3 to start their season but still ended up with 13 wins thanks to another MVP season from Aaron Rodgers. However, their offense is taking a big hit with the loss of Davante Adams.   

For the time being, Green Bay plans on being a defensive football team. This defense is seemingly loaded at every level and will need to hit the ground running, with their first test being an offense featuring two talented pass catchers and one of the premier running backs in the league.   

Coaching will be important in this game, but there are also a ton of good matchups that will help decide the outcome. Let’s highlight four in this season’s first edition of key matchups.  

Packers vs. 49ers: 4 key matchups to watch in the divisional round

Highlighting the top matchups to watch when the Packers host the 49ers in the divisional round.

The Green Bay Packers will begin their long road to the Super Bowl on Saturday night against the San Francisco 49ers. This intriguing matchup is a rematch of the 2019 NFC Championship Game. The Packers hope to get revenge for that pathetic showing, while the 49ers look to avenge a last-second defeat in Week 3.

Green Bay claimed the NFC’s top seed during the regular season, which allowed them to bypass last week’s wild-card round. Coming off a game that nearly slipped away from San Francisco, they will now have to face a fresh and motivated Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers had a virtuoso performance in the first meeting when he led his team into a field goal range with 37 seconds left on the clock and no timeouts. Mason Crosby delivered the game-winner from 51 yards to lift his team to a miraculous comeback win.

That game was much different than the 2019 NFC Championship, which saw the 49ers’ offense completely trample the Packers’ run defense. With fresh legs and key players hoping to return, Green Bay hopes to avoid a similar downfall.

There will be plenty to watch out for on Saturday between these two very talented teams but let’s look at four key matchups that will help decide the outcome.