Green Bay Packers v. Broncos: 5 Keys to Victory

When the Green Bay Packers take the field Sunday against the Denver Broncos these will be their five keys to victory and leaving the game with a 3-0 record.

We are two weeks into the 2019 NFL season and the Green Bay Packers are sitting pretty. Not only are they off to a 2-0 start, but both of those wins came against NFC North opponents, which gives them a huge early-season advantage.

Now standing between them and a 3-0 record is the Denver Broncos who will come to Lambeau Field winless but as we’ve seen in the NFL, no team should be taken lightly. Denver has a very formidable defense that could very easily give this new Packers’ offense fits.

As we look ahead and prepare for Sunday’s matchup, these five keys will be crucial to the Green Bay Packers’ success and if they can win a majority of these battles, they should have no problem coming away with another victory.

David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga

As is the case in any game for the Packers, keeping quarterback Aaron Rodgers upright will be key. Over the last two weeks, David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga have had to go up against some very good EDGE rushers, and this week won’t be any different.

In week one it was Leonard Floyd and Khalil Mack, then in week two, it was Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen. Now this week, it will be another difficult test as the Broncos have Von Miller and Bradley Chubb coming off the edge.

So far, Bakhtiari and Bulaga have done a very good job against some of the top EDGE rushers in the league and to win Sunday, they’ll have to do it again. Over his career, we have seen how deadly Rodgers can be from a clean pocket and if given one against Denver, he should be able to pick apart their secondary.

Green Bay’s defensive front

This should be another offensive line unit that the Green Bay front-seven should be able to take advantage of. Through two games the Denver offensive line has allowed four sacks and 25 total pressures according to Pro Football Focus. They also have 12 blocking penalties, nine of which have come from either their tackle Garett Bolles or their guard Ron Leary.

When under pressure, we’ve seen time and time again that Joe Flacco will make mistakes. So if the Packers are able to create pressure, it should lead to a turnover or two for the defense.

Slowing down Emmanuel Sanders

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is the biggest offensive weapon for the Broncos and if the Green Bay Packers’ secondary can slow him down as they did with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen last Sunday, it will make moving the ball quite difficult for the Denver offense.

Through the first two weeks, Sanders has been very efficient, catching 16 of the 19 passes thrown his way for 184 yards and two touchdowns. He has home run potential whenever the ball is in his hands, so limiting those types of big plays will be key.

Establishing the running game

Yes, the Green Bay offense did fizzle out after their first three possessions of the game but prior to that they sure looked pretty spectacular. The offense was up-tempo, in rhythm, and spreading the ball around. A big reason for that was that the running game was effective.

In total, Aaron Jones was the most consistent offensive player on the field for Green Bay as he’d rush for 116 yards on 23 attempts with a touchdown. The Matt LaFleur offense is at its best when the running game is working as it allows him to better disguise what he is really trying to do and keeps the defense off-balance.

Once again, for this offense to be effective and take another positive step forward, they’ll need to be able to lean on the running game.

Help in the passing game

Although Marquez Valdes-Scantling had a big catch in week one and Geronimo Allison had a touchdown reception in week two, outside of Davante Adams we haven’t seen consistent productivity in the passing game.

This season Adams has 11 receptions on 17 attempts for 142 yards, while MVS, Allison, Trevor Davis, and Jake Kumerow have all combined for 13 receptions on 21 attempts for 136 yards. Even the tight end unit went without a reception against the Minnesota Vikings.

With that said, it is still early in the season with a new offensive system, so I’m confident that this will improve. However, for this offense to truly click, other receivers need to consistently find ways to get open and give Rodgers another target to throw to.