What To Watch For: Can Patriots' Secondary Continue To Dominate Against Green Bay?
BOSTON (CBS) -- There's very little doubt that Sunday's Patriots-Packers game is going to be pretty darn good.
Many have tabbed it a Super Bowl XLIX preview, with New England entrenched atop the AFC and the Packers sitting third in the NFL, just a game behind the 9-2 Arizona Cardinals and half-a-game behind the 9-3 Philadelphia Eagles. Others are focused on another meeting between a pair of Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, who if you didn't hear, both wear No. 12.
Sunday's game may very well be a Super Bowl preview, but for now, it's just two of the best teams in the NFL hoping to keep current wining streaks alive (New England has won seven straight while the Packers are looking for their fourth straight win) and add another marquee win to their postseason resume.
The Patriots have had their way with NFC North opponents, winners of 14 straight against the division. The last time they lost to a team in the NFC North was way back in 2002, when Brett Favre and his Packers handed Brady and company a 28-10 loss in Foxboro.
But that stretch will mean very little when the Patriots hit Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon. Here is everything you'll need to watch for when the Pats and Packers square off:
Another Round Of "Who Covers Who"
The Patriots defense will face off against another very talented duo of receivers on Sunday, with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb combining for 19 touchdowns this season. They have one of the best passers in the league throwing to them in Rodgers, and have put up some big numbers over the last month -- especially at home.
The Packers have topped the 50-point mark in their previous two home games -- a 55-14 win over the Bears and 53-20 win over the Eagles -- and are averaging 43.8 points per game at Lambeau this season.
So who will match up with who? The Patriots secondary shut down the Detroit Lions' talented duo of Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate last Sunday, holding the pair to eight receptions for 155 yards on 21 targets. They did so with Darrelle Revis mostly on Tate and Brandon Browner handling Johnson, with safety Devin McCourty providing both with plenty of help over the top. On Sunday, Revis will likely be tasked with covering Cobb with Browner drawing duties on Nelson.
Rodgers may have 30 touchdown passes this season, but after Nelson and Cobb he is kind of limited on his options (not that it's held him back from finding the end zone). The Packers weren't able to replace the injured Jermichael Finley at tight end, relying on fifth-year player Andrew Quarless (32 receptions for 230 yards and three touchdowns on the season). With Revis and Browner likely taking out Rodgers' top two targets, Quarless will have to play a big role in the offense for Green Bay to put up points.
Don't Lose Lacy
While the Packers may be limited after Nelson and Cobb, Eddie Lacy has been a solid pass-catching option out of the Green Bay backfield. And he's been on fire over the last month.
Whether he's taking a handoff from Rodgers or catching passes, Lacy has been getting it done for Green Bay. He has four straight games where he's topped 100 total yards, averaging 75 rush yards and 62 receiving yards per game in that span, finding the end zone twice on the ground and three times through the air. Last week in Green Bay's 24-21 win over the Vikings, Lacy ran the ball 25 times for 125 yards and a touchdown while coming down with two receptions, one of which went for a touchdown.
Lacy has made defenses pay when they shut down Rodgers' threats downfield, sitting back and turning short passes into big games. The Patriots can't forget about the Pro Bowl back, or he'll make them pay.
Who Carries The Rock?
As for the Patriots out of the backfield, LeGarrette Blount and Jonas Gray should expect to get plenty of run come Sunday. Gray no doubt learned his lesson after being benched last week following his absence from Friday's practice, and could be a big part of another New England win.
Green Bay owns one of the worst run defenses in the league, surrendering 136.7 rushing yard per game -- 30th in the league. They are giving up an incredible 4.5 yards per carry, and with a pair of bruising backs in Blount and Gray, the Patriots could opt to dominate this one on the ground if the Packers don't jump out a big lead early.
It's going to be cold (very, very cold) come the 4:25pm kickoff, so bringing down Blount or Gray will be no easy, or enjoyable, task for Green Bay defenders. The Packers have already given up some pretty big rushing games this season, allowing 235 rushing yards to the Bears in a Week 4 and 193 yards to the Saints in Week 8, so either Blount or Gray are primed for big games.
Two Tickets To The Ed Hochuli Show
Ed Hochuli is bringing his gun show and long-winded explanations to Green Bay this weekend, so expect plenty of flags (and flexing) in the bitter cold.
This will be Hochuli's first Patriots game of the season, and through the first 12 weeks of the season, his crew ranks second among the 17 crews in terms of most penalties called. With the Patriots' 95 accepted penalties ranking them in the Top 3 in the NFL, there will be a lot of laundry hitting the field on Sunday. The Patriots had 11 penalties last week against the Lions, and with their physical defense and occasional brain farts on the offensive line, that pace isn't really slowing down as the season continues.
So hopefully you don't mind seeing a lot of Ed Hochuli, because there is going to be a lot of Ed Hochuli on Sunday.
Bonus: Special Teams
Special teams have been a big key to New England's success this season, ranging from blocked field goals to big kick returns, and the even more looked-over saved punts.
The importance of special teams was on full display for the Patriots last week, with Ryan Allen saving what could have been a disastrous snap for a beautiful 66-yard punt in the first quarter. Danny Amendola further drove the importance home, sparking the Pats' offense with an 81-yard kick return in the second quarter.
With the cold temps setting in come the second half, having Allen pinning the Packers deep in their own zone and Amendola setting the Patriots up well offensively could be a huge factor in this one.
Tune in to Sunday's Patriots-Packers game on 98.5 The Sports Hub and WBZ-TV — the flagship stations of the New England Patriots. Pregame coverage begins on WBZ-TV at 11:30am with Patriots GameDay, with Patriots 5th Quarter on myTV38 following the game. The Sports Hub begins coverage at 1:30pm, with three full hours of postgame coverage following the game!
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