The Green Bay Packers will attempt to get back in the win column after a loss in London when the New York Jets arrive at Lambeau Field for a Week 6 matchup on Sunday.
This will be no cakewalk: The Jets have won three of their last four games, including road wins over the Browns and Steelers.
The Packers decided against a bye week following the trip to London, and Sunday will be the team’s final home game over the next month.
Here are five things to watch and a prediction:
Pass rush pressure
The Packers need to play better in the secondary, especially against a talented group of Jets receivers, but Sunday should be a great chance for the defense’s pass rush to control the game. And pressure on the quarterback will be vital to the outcome. Consider this: Jets quarterback Zach Wilson is averaging 10.1 yards per attempt from clean pockets (44 dropbacks) and 2.9 yards per attempt under pressure (20 dropbacks) over two games this year, per PFF. Last season, Wilson completed only 29.3 percent of passes and had 10 turnover-worthy plays when under pressure. Overall, the Jets rank 28th in PFF’s pass-blocking grade and 19th in ESPN’s pass-block win rate.
Deep passing game
Aaron Rodgers thinks the passing game is getting close. The tape backs up the claim. The big thing needing to click is the down-the-field stuff. Rodgers didn’t complete a pass over 20 yards last week despite some quality opportunities. Will the Jets challenge the Packers at the line of scrimmage and play man-to-man outside like the Giants? Until the passing game proves it can consistently create big plays down the field, defenses are going to load up and focus on taking away the running backs. Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon need the ball, but the Packers also need to help open things up by getting better vertically. Rookie Romeo Doubs is due for a big play.
Importance of the turnover battle
The Jets have nine giveaways (seventh-most) and nine takeaways (fifth-most) through five games, and they turned the ball over six times over two losses. Can the Packers, with only four total takeaways to start 2022, finally start producing the turnovers that change games? Matt LaFleur’s team hasn’t won the turnover battle once in five weeks this season. The Packers don’t have a big margin for error in terms of winning right now, but getting a takeaway or two would sure help. This defense, with the talent up front and in the secondary, should be creating more chances to take the ball away.
Offensive line on notice
The Jets might be the deepest pass-rushing team the Packers have played so far this season. Robert Salah’s defense has four players with 10 or more pressures through five games, including edge rusher Carl Lawson and interior defender Quinnen Williams. John Franklin-Myers, Jacob Martin and Bryce Huff have been quality edge rushers and Sheldon Rankins can win one-on-ones inside. The Packers need to stay out of obvious passing downs because the Jets’ pass-rush has been the best this season against true passing sets. Play-action and the quick passing game will all be important Sunday.
Another quality RB test
The Packers just gave up over 100 total yards in Saquon Barkley, who created an explosive play as a runner and receiver. The next test is rookie Breece Hall, who is coming off a 197-yard performance in Week 5. Hall has six rushes of at least 15 yards and 17 total catches this season. Can the Packers do a better job of limiting the explosive plays? Tackling will be ultra important against a back averaging 4.9 yards per carry and over 10.0 yards per catch.
Prediction: Packers 24, Jets 21 (2-3)
A physically demanding week after the trip to London and some tough matchups within the game figure to make this a difficult, 60-minute battle for the Packers, even at home and coming off a loss. There is a big talent gap at quarterback again, but the Jets are talented at receiver, have an effective pass rush and can win the special teams battle. Is an upset possible here? Sure. The Packers are a flawed team trying to figure it out on the fly to start 2022, but LaFleur and Rodgers usually create excellent bounce-back performances coming off losses, and the Packers need this one badly with a three-game road trip coming up. The guess here is a turnover swings this game Green Bay’s way late.
