Packers expert reveals possible ‘weakest link’ that may give Browns’ Myles Garrett a clear path to wrecking things against Green Bay
A few questions have to be answered before Cleveland hosts Green Bay in Week 3.
The Cleveland Browns are 0-2 on the season after two AFC North games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens to start the season. The road isn’t getting any easier for the Browns, as they’ll now return home to host one of the better NFC teams. When the Green Bay Packers enter Cleveland, they’ll do so with a 2-0 record and wins over the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders.
Green Bay boasts the league’s most impressive defense of the season and in large part due to their acquisition of former Dallas Cowboys edge Micah Parsons. To get to know the Packers a bit more, I asked Packers beat writer Wendell Ferreira a few questions about Green Bay coming into the game.
With Jayden Reed out for the Packers, who is going to be their slot target? This could be a real issue for the Browns, who are struggling there.
There are two natural options at wide receiver to play in the slot, and both will rotate between the boundary and the slot. The first one is first-round receiver Matthew Golden, who’s primarily a Z receiver but can move inside as well. In the first game against the Detroit Lions, he played only three slot snaps, but that jumped to seven against the Washington Commanders because Reed left the game in the first quarter.
However, the most likely option to take the majority of slot snaps is third-year receiver Dontayvion Wicks. He had three slot snaps against the Lions as well, and 13 versus Washington. Throughout his NFL career, Wicks has played 36.6 percent of his snaps in the slot, and his ability to run routes and generate separation is important to help the offense in this area.
The final option for some snaps would be tight end Luke Musgrave. He’s certainly a better receiver than he is a blocker, and the Packers have utilized more 12 personnel with him and Tucker Kraft than ever before.
What has the plan been for Micah Parsons through two weeks with Green Bay and do you expect much to change with that in Week 3?
Parsons is progressively getting more snaps. He played only 44.8% of the defensive snaps in Week 1, and the number went up to 68.1% in Week 2. After a mini-bye, it’s fair to expect that it would be a little higher on Sunday, even though the Packers are usually conservative to avoid future problems.
Moreover, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has been a proponent of defensive line rotation to keep players fresh. With Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness in the mix, it’s possible to limit Parsons’ usage and still be fairly effective in pass rush.
That being said, the Packers invested what they did in Parsons because they know how special a player he is. Therefore, you can certainly expect that he will see the field a lot—especially on the most impactful downs of the game.
Cleveland’s defensive line is its strong suit pretty much across. What are the lesser part(s) of the Packers’ offensive line that Jim Schwartz will look to put pressure on?
Everything depends on health. Right tackle Zach Tom (oblique) and left guard Aaron Banks (ankle/groin) missed the Commanders game. At left guard, the Packers had last year’s first-round pick Jordan Morgan, but the weakest link was at right tackle with a rotation between second-round rookie Anthony Belton and recently-acquired Darian Kinnard.
If everyone plays, the Packers have as strong a best-five as there is in the NFL. Theoretically, the weakest spot would be at right guard with Sean Rhyan, but he has been excellent, particularly in pass protection.
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