By Tony Catalina
Kickoff: The New England Patriots head to Lambeau Field to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. They will do so short handed as QB Mac Jones has already been ruled out. Brian Hoyer will be tasked with trying to give the Pats their second win of these against a hall of fame QB and a hostile environment.
The last time these two teams met in 2018 the Patriots won 31-17 and the all-time series between the two franchises is tied at 6-6.
Four Downs (Four keys to the game)
1st Down: Stop Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers is capable of taking over a game and getting things out of hand for the opponent quickly. Coach Belichick and the defensive staff are going to have to call a great game on the defensive side of the ball in order to give their offensive unit a chance to fight this week. Rodgers’ football IQ is up there with any one in the league, the Pats defense is going to have to play assignment based football for 60 minutes to be able to stop this Rodgers led offense.
2nd Down: Have a good rushing attack to help Hoyer: The easiest way to help a backup quarterback be successful is by playing quality defense and having a committed running game. Making the game simple for Hoyer will be key. A quality run game will open up the play action pass and neutralize the pass rush of an aggressive Packers defense. Look for the early downs and see how they are handled and execute when you are looking to see how this game ultimately shakes out.
3rd Down: Challenge these young wide receivers: Although it’s Aaron Rodgers and he’s capable of doing high level things any given Sunday, his cast of weapons are not as daunting this year as they have been in the past. Davante Adams is in Vegas, and outside of an older Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard, this is a largely untested and young group. If the corners can win their individual battles it could make things uncomfortable for Rodgers in the passing game. Forcing Rodgers to his second and third reads will be crucial to having him hold the ball and being able to get pressure on him.
4th Down: Don’t let the game get away from you: When you have your backup quarterback in the game the details matter even more. Winning on early downs, staying ahead of the sticks, and keeping Hoyer in manageable situations will be paramount this Sunday. It doesn’t help having a guy like Aaron Rodgers on the other side, but the NFL is a funny league, if you’re able to keep things close any team is able to put it together and pull out a win in the end.
Extra Point: The Patriots are looking to find a way to not rack up their third loss in the first month of the season. It has been years since the Patriots started a season 1-3 and the challenge is on this coaching staff to find a way to dig out of this hole without all of their guys. There is talent, and the coaching staff is one of the most senior in the league, they shouldn’t be surprised by anything they see on Sunday, but it will be about execution and winning their individual battles.
Final Drive: This game was always going to be a challenge with or without Mac Jones. The Packers have a quality defense that held Tom Brady and company to 12 points last week and a quarterback in Rodgers that is a tough assignment for any team. This game is winnable for the Patriots, it’s just going to take a full team effort to do so.