Good evening, everyone. On Sunday afternoon, the Green Bay Packers will look to continue their winning streak that began last week. The opponent this week is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who the Packers have not beaten in Pittsburgh since 1970 (December 6, 1970 to be exact). It will be a tough game, but I think that the Packers can get it done at what is now called Acrisure Stadium, but I still call it Heinz Field. Let’s get into detail on how the Packers can win this game.
On offense, the Packers need to get the running game going once again. Aaron Jones should be able to get at least 20 touches in the ground game. Those carries need to be for good chunks of yards each time. For that to happen, the offensive linemen need to block the defenders, including TJ Watt, and create the holes for Jones and the other backs to run through. One guy that should start for the offensive line is Sean Rhyan, who played well when Jon Runyan Jr was out for part of last week’s game. Rhyan was able to block the defenders that were in his way and I hope he is able to do more of that. If the running backs (mainly Jones) can run the ball well, then that can help Jordan Love by keeping the defense honest. Any play action fakes can work well as long as the run game is effective and the fakes themselves are creative. Regardless of whether there is a play action fake or not, the passing game starts with the offensive line (plus any additional blockers) protecting Jordan Love from any pressures or sacks. TJ Watt might get at least one, but it should be possible to keep him from breaking the offense’s game plan (hopefully Zach Tom can play great). As long as he is protected, Love should be able to throw accurately to any of his receivers, including Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs, Luke Musgrave, and the running backs. Those receivers need to run their routes well while winning their one on ones against the defensive backs and catching each pass thrown by Love (other than throwaways). What can also help the receivers is for some play designs to be creative like the one last week that gave Luke Musgrave his first NFL touchdown. Against a secondary that is not at full strength (Minkah Fitzpatrick will miss the game due to an injury), the receivers should be able to do their jobs well. If both the running game and the passing game can be efficient in terms of getting yards and points (especially in the red zone), then the Packers offense should be able to win the time of possession battle. No drive-killing penalties (even ones that are bad calls like the two offensive offsides penalties that ruined two QB Sneak/Tush Push plays) and no turnovers can also help the Packers accomplish this goal. There will be tough parts on Sunday, but I hope the Packers offense can play well for all four quarters.
On defense, the Packers need to make the Steelers one-dimensional on offense. The Packers defensive front, which includes Rashan Gary, needs to get past the blockers and tackle any of the running backs for minimum gain. The tackles can’t be dives at the players’ ankles, but rather full on wrap tackles that don’t include body slams (which may be called for unnecessary roughness). If the defensive front can do their job in terms of stopping the run, then the pass rush can get after Kenny PIckett and frustrate him all game long. Pickett might not be the most accurate quarterback, but he may throw a deep pass to George Pickens randomly. It is up to the pass rush, also led by Rashan Gary, to get him before Pickett is able to throw a clean pass. I hope that Rashan Gary gets at least 3 sacks on Sunday, with a couple of other players contributing to the sack total. Any form of pressure can force Pickett to throw passes that need to be intercepted by any defender that has a chance to grab one, including Carrington Valentine (Jaire Alexander is out for the game due to a back issue). Valentine and the rest of the defensive backs need to cover the receivers very well, not allowing any easy catches. If the receiver catches the ball, then he needs to be brought down almost immediately to keep a chunk play from happening. Some pass breakups and interceptions should be possible and keep the Steelers from moving the ball down the field too much. Third down conversions and red zone touchdowns need to be kept to a minimum by the Packers defense to help contribute to a win. Any form of turnover, including a strip sack and an interception, can help the Packers by giving them more chances to score on offense. It would be a bonus if the defense gets a touchdown from the turnover, which I hope happens this season. Even though the Packers are missing at least Jaire Alexander and Quay Walker, their defense should play well for all four quarters against one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
On Special Teams, the Packers need to avoid major mistakes that can give Pittsburgh extra momentum, especially with the fans waving those Terrible Towels. An example of a major mistake would be allowing a field goal or a punt to get blocked. To keep this from happening, the linemen need to block the defenders well after the snap by the long snapper gets to the punter/holder (who is Daniel Whelon in both cases). The hold needs to be secured for Anders Carlson to kick it cleanly through the uprights, which should be no issue for him (*knocks on wood*). For Whelon, his punts need to be deep in Steelers territory every time he is called upon, which I hope is not too many times. On kickoffs and punts, the coverage unit needs to make sure that the return man doesn’t break it open for a huge gain. A way to keep any big returns from happening (on both sides) is for the kickoffs and punts to go to the end zone for a touchback. On the other end, I do hope that Keisean Nixon and Jayden Reed make big plays in the return game on kickoffs and punts, respectively. Regardless of whether there is a big return or not, the return men need to make smart choices with the football. Fair catches need to be caught cleanly, and some balls should be left to bounce freely out of bounds or in the end zone. If there is an opportunity, the returners need to follow the holes made by the blockers and evade defenders for a big gain (plus pray that there is not a holding or block in the back penalty). Hopefully the Packers pull off a big play on Sunday, whether that be a kick return TD by Nixon or a blocked field goal. Rich Bisaccia will get his guys ready for anything, including any trick plays that the Steelers might pull.
Overall, I think that this game is winnable for the Packers. I know that the Steelers have a tough team led by head coach Mike Tomlin, but I think that the Packers can get the win to improve to 4-5 on the season, as long as they keep the mistakes to a minimum. Regardless of the outcome, I pray that no players get seriously injured on Sunday on either team. Stay tuned for the recap of the game on Monday or Tuesday. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. Go Pack Go!
Comentários