Numbers indicate the Packers are poised for an explosive offensive showing
The Green Bay Packers are 5th in offensive DVOA. So even with Jordan Love missing two games because of a knee injury, they still have one of the most efficient units in the league. On Sunday, it can pay off in a big way. You might consider it a trap game, but the Jacksonville Jaguars […]
The Green Bay Packers are 5th in offensive DVOA. So even with Jordan Love missing two games because of a knee injury, they still have one of the most efficient units in the league. On Sunday, it can pay off in a big way.
You might consider it a trap game, but the Jacksonville Jaguars have had one of the worst defenses in football under new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
Check out these stats: The Jaguars are 32nd in DVOA, 32nd in EPA/play, 32nd in EPA/dropback, and 19th in success rate. The unit is pretty passive as well, and is failing to generate pressure — 32nd in blitz rate, 25th in sack rate, tied for 29th in takeaways, and 30th in scoring.
A lot has been talked about Trevor Lawrence and his struggles, but the defense is the main reason why the Jaguars are 2-5 in a weak AFC South Division.
On the other side, they know how big of a challenge this will be.
"They've got quite a few guys on offense they can get the ball to," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Tuesday. "It does make it a challenge. Which group are you going to try to take away or at least minimize? This is something you've got to trust the scheme this week. You've got to put your players in situations to, I think, understand the scheme, number one, and then try to be successful on game day where there's maybe not a lot of thinking involved, just 'I've got that guy,' type thing. Your pass rush too, if you want ball disruption and takeaways, you've got to affect it with four or five guys and you've got to be able to do that too."
Familiar face
Packers fans know Darnell Savage pretty well, and on Sunday he will be on the other side. He's played mostly as a slot corner, but injuries made him move back to deep safety against the New England Patriots last week in London.
Savage closely knows the Packers roster and what's ahead for the Jags defense.
"They definitely have a lot of good weapons over there, which a lot of good teams in this league do," Savage said. "But at the end of the day, there's one football. So, you've just got to do your job each and every play and just be ready, and think the ball's coming to you every play, no matter what. As long as we keep holding that mindset and just make the plays when they come to us, we'll be alright."
Savage played five years for the Packers after being a first-round pick in 2019. This is his first season elsewhere, but he doesn't feel like the Sunday game is anything special.
"This is already an emotional game as it is. It's championship week for us because it's the next week, so we’re just ready to just go 1-0 each and every week, just keep trending into the right Direction," Savage added. "I'm here to play a football game. It's not a reunion. We're here to go 1-0 this week, so that's how we’re treating it, that's how I'm treating it.”
So far this season, the Packers have averaged 26.5 points per game — and that included two games with Malik Willis slowing the average down a little bit. The best performance in terms of points was the 34-point game against the Arizona Cardinals. It's a huge week for Jordan Love and the Packers, and the chances of putting up significant points are real.
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