The Green Bay Packers will face one of the NFL’s best deep passing teams when they take on Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Putting on a lid on the Jaguars passing game will be a top priority for Jeff Hafley’s defense.
Through seven weeks, Lawrence ranks first in the NFL in passes thrown over 20 yards in the air attempted (32) and completed (15) and first in passing yards (541) and “big time throws” (9) created on passes over 20 yards, per Pro Football Focus.
Rookie first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. has been Lawrence’s preferred deep target. He’s caught 6-of-11 targets for 283 yards (third most) and two touchdowns on passes thrown over 20 yards, and he’s 3-for-3 on contested deep catches. Thomas brings excellent size and speed to the receiver position. Among his deep catches this season is an 85-yard touchdown.
“We wanna maximize @BrianThomas_11‘s speed down the field as much as we can.”#GBvsJAX pic.twitter.com/Eq2hokZJBy
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 24, 2024
Receivers Christian Kirk (four catches, 139 yards) and Gabe Davis (three catches, 65 yards) have also been deep targets. And tight end Evan Engram has the vertical speed to threat down the field, especially now that he’s healthy.
Containing a deep passing game is a multi-faceted operation. It requires mistake-free coverage from both cornerbacks and safeties, and disruption from the defensive front to make sure the quarterback doesn’t have time to get the ball downfield.
Sunday could be a showcase game for the rebuilt Packers safety group. Not only has Xavier McKinney intercepted six passes, but he’s been excellent at over-the-top coverage in both single-high and two-high coverages. More and more, the Packers are relying on rookie safety Evan Williams to play the Robin to McKinney’s Batman, and he’s proved reliable both in terms of aggressively playing the run and covering the deep half.
Brian Thomas Jr. reached a top speed of 22.15 mph on his 85-yard TD reception from Trevor Lawrence, the fastest speed by a ball carrier this season, and the fastest play by a Jaguars ball carrier in the NGS era (since 2016).
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— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 6, 2024
Up front, the Packers are coming off a suffocating performance against C.J. Stroud. A similar performance against Lawrence would help the secondary prevent the big plays down the field that have powered the Jaguars offense.
The Packers can’t take the Jaguars offense lightly. An experienced offensive line, two playmaking running backs, three deep threats at receiver and a tight end coming off a 114-catch season provide Lawrence with plenty of weapons.
Explosive plays so often provide game-changing moments. Can the Packers force Lawrence and the Jaguars to be methodical on Sunday?
