Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots: 5 matchups to watch

2. Davante Adams vs Stephon Gilmore

When Rodgers needs a bailout or the offense needs a boost, Davante Adams is frequently there to deliver. On Sunday, he matches up with one of the NFL’s best corners in Stephon Gilmore. Since coming over from the Buffalo Bills last offseason, he has consistently been a top-10 cornerback. He also never shies away from big matchups like Adams, as he is expected to shadow him all over the field.

Off the line of scrimmage, Adams is in a different world of talent. His stutter step and hand swat make him nearly impossible to jam. This will be a major area to watch for the Packers. A lot of the work they do in the passing game is timing-based, but that can be thrown off if Gilmore gets a successful jam on him. Gilmore also has size and speed to match up with Adams, but Adams is still just so good.

While the other wide receiver-cornerback matchups are good to watch, this is the matchup to watch, and it isn’t particularly close. Behind Adams, the Packers are rotating their receivers frequently to keep them fresh and give themselves better matchups. Rookie Marquez Valdes-Scantling has made several plays in recent weeks, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team draws up a few plays with him as the primary receiver.