Good evening, everyone. On Sunday afternoon, the Green Bay Packers will be taking on the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Surprisingly, the Bengals have the same record as the Packers at 3-1. This game will be played in front of a full crowd, although I am sure that there will be plenty of Packers fans in Cincinnati. I am here to give you my thoughts on what the Packers need to do to get to 4-1 on the season. Without further delay, let’s get started.
On offense, it depends on the performance of the offensive line. With rookie center Josh Myers out due to injury, a new lineup needs to be figured out by Matt LaFleur and Adam Stenavich. Hopefully Elgton Jenkins comes back from his injury. Even if he doesn’t come back this week, I have confidence that the O-Line will perform well. In the run game, the linemen (plus any additional blockers) need to create the holes for Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon to run through. In turn, the RBs need to follow the holes and evade (or truck) defenders on their way to plenty of yards (while not fumbling the ball in the process). Running the ball well can keep the defense honest and set up the play-action passing game. Speaking of the passing game, the job for the linemen (plus any additional blockers) is to keep QB Aaron Rodgers upright. If they are able to do that, then Rodgers will be able to go through his reads and throw accurately to an open receiver. Luckily, he has plenty of targets to throw to, including Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Robert Tonyan, Allen Lazard, and the running backs. The receivers’ job is to run their routes and catch each pass that is thrown by Rodgers, other than throwaways. The most important thing for the Packers on offense is to sustain long drives that should result in touchdowns. As long as the offense converts third downs and avoid turning the ball over, I think that the Packers will get that part done on Sunday. Touchdowns need to be scored in the red zone to put more pressure on the Bengals to respond. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few trick plays that are drawn up by Matt LaFleur during this game. I have plenty of confidence that the offense will get the job done against the Bengals.
On defense, the key for the Packers is to make the Bengals one-dimensional on offense. It all starts in the trenches. The defensive front (which includes Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary, and De’Vondre Campbell) needs to do its job on both sides of the ball. In the run game, the defenders (also including former Dallas Cowboy Jaylon Smith) need to fill the gaps and tackle the ball carrier for minimum gain. If the defense is able to keep the run game in check, then the pass rush can get after QB Joe Burrow. This might be tricky because he could scramble for some yards. Therefore, the key is to keep Burrow in the pocket. Even if the play doesn’t result in a sack, getting consistent pressure on Burrow can force him to make mistakes, including throwing passes that can easily be picked off by Eric Stokes or Darnell Savage (Jaire Alexander was put on IR due to his shoulder injury). Those two, plus the rest of the defensive backs (including newcomer Rasul Douglas), need to cover the Bengals receivers well. Those receivers for Cincinnati include Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd. It’s important that the Packers D-Backs make sure that there are no wide open catches for any receiver. In both run and pass plays, the defenders need to not allow any chunk plays. As long as there are no broken or missed tackles, they should get this part done. What’s most important for the Packers defense is to keep the Bengals offense from converting third downs and sustaining long drives (plus scoring touchdowns in the red zone). The defense also needs to take advantage of any turnover opportunities. If Joe Burrow loses the ball during a sack, the ball needs to be recovered by Green Bay. If a defender has a chance at an interception, then he needs to catch the pass. It will be a tough game for the defense, but I am sure that DC Joe Barry will get the unit ready for anything against the Bengals offense.
On Special Teams, the Packers need to avoid critical mistakes that could swing momentum to Cincinnati. An example of this is allowing a field goal or a punt to be blocked. Last week against the Steelers, a field goal by Mason Crosby was blocked right before halftime. If there wasn’t an offsides penalty, that blocked field goal (and touchdown return) would have given Pittsburgh momentum to start the second half. In order to avoid this, everyone needs to do their job on field goal attempts. The snap by Hunter Bradley needs to be accurate (this also applies on punts), Corey Bojorquez needs to secure the hold, and the line needs to block the defenders so blocked kicks don’t happen. Of course, Mason Crosby needs to make every field goal and PAT kick. Bojorquez needs to continue flipping the field with his punts (which I am sure he will). The return coverage unit needs to make sure that each kick or punt return doesn’t go for a lot of yards (tackling is a big key here). On the other side, Kylin Hill and Amari Rodgers need to make the most out of their return opportunities (at least on kicks that are not touchbacks or fair catches). The returners also need to avoid fumbling the ball at any point. I have hope that the Packers will keep things calm on Special Teams.
As long as everyone does their job on all sides of the football, the Packers should have a good chance of increasing their winning streak to 4 games. A win for Green Bay on Sunday would be their first in Cincinnati since the 1998 season. I have hope that they will get the win against the Bengals. Regardless of the outcome, I pray that there are no additional injuries (or COVID-19 issues) for either team. I will be back with my post-game thoughts soon. Have a good night, everyone. Go Pack Go!
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