The Green Bay Packers will face the New England Patriots on Sunday, but head coach Bill Belichick still isn’t sure who his starting quarterback will be. Regular starter Mac Jones is still recovering from a high ankle sprain suffered in last week’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. If he is unable to play, his replacement will be Brian Hoyer, who Packers head coach Matt LaFleur offered tons of praise for earlier in the week.
“Brian Hoyer is a guy I’ve got a lot of respect for,” LaFleur said. “My brother was on that staff in Cleveland when he was a starter, and they had him again when he was in San Francisco as well. I remember watching a lot of the cut-ups from the ’14 season, and you could make the case and take all his great plays he made, and you would have thought he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league.”
Jones has struggled in his second year as the starter. Through the first three games, he has already thrown five interceptions, and his passer rating is the second lowest in the league, only ahead of Justin Fields. Even if Jones does sit out, the Patriots offense shouldn’t see much of a drop-off.
Sunday’s game should be another chance for Green Bay’s defense to gain some confidence. Offensively, the Packers should continue to lean on their run game, seeing that the Patriots have been much better at defending the pass through the first three games.
Green Bay is the clear favorite to win this game, but facing a team coached by Belichick presents plenty of challenges. Aaron Rodgers is 1-1 as a starter against Belichick, but this is the first time the two will meet without Tom Brady.
The Packers hope to improve to 3-1 before heading to London, while New England needs a win to avoid falling to 1-3. Expect to see two well-coached teams take the field on Sunday with some intriguing matchups. Here are four key ones to keep an eye on.
Packers WR Romeo Doubs vs Patriots CB Jonathan Jones
Doubs is Green Bay’s leading receiver in targets, receptions, and yards. He is coming off an impressive outing in which he hauled in eight passes for 73 yards and a touchdown against a really good Tampa Bay defense. This week, Doubs may draw the attention of the Patriots’ number one corner. Jones is tied for the best coverage grade among corners with at least 38 coverage snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Doubs has been one of the most productive rookie receivers in the NFL this season as he ranks first in catch percentage, passer rating when targeted, and yards after the catch. This should be a fun rookie vs veteran matchup.
Packers Pass Rush vs Patriots QB
If Jones does end up playing, his mobility will be even more hampered than it already is. He has already been sacked five times this season, and his numbers when pressured are not good. Per PFF, Jones has a 38.9 completion percentage when under pressure and has also thrown three interceptions. Green Bay’s pass rush should be pinning their ears back regardless of whether it is Jones or Hoyer under center. So far, they have done a good job of getting after the quarterback with 45 pressures as a team.
Packers Offensive Tackles vs Patriots edge rushers Matthew Judon and Deatrich Wise Jr.
Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari is expected to make his second straight start. Bakhtiari was a participant in Friday’s practice, which is a positive sign for his status heading into Sunday. Last week, he allowed just one pressure in his season debut against a talented Buccaneers pass rush. Bakhtiari could be on a pitch count again this week, which means he will share snaps with Yosh Nijman. Either way, both players will have to bring their A-game. Judon and Wise Jr. have already combined for 20 pressures and seven sacks in 2022. Right tackle Elgton Jenkins will spend most of his day across from Judon, who is coming off a career year of 12.5 sacks.
Packers Secondary vs Patriots Receivers
The Packers’ secondary has been solid coverage-wise since a dismal Week 1 outing against the Minnesota Vikings. However, they have gone up against a benign Chicago Bears receiving corps and a Tampa Bay offense without their top three pass catchers. They will be tested this week when they face a Patriots offense with three talented wide receivers. Nelson Agholor, DeVante Parker, and Jakobi Meyers each have at least 150 receiving yards this season. Green Bay needs to have a plan to contain this dynamic trio.
