Green Bay Packers: 3 Matchups to watch in Week Three
By Kenny Jilek
Receiving Running Backs vs. LBs
Last week, with Michael Thomas out, Alvin Kamara became the undisputed centerpiece of the Saints offense, going for 174 all-purpose yards and two rushing touchdowns. He was easily their biggest receiving threat, catching nine passes for 95 yards. No one else had more than five receptions.
In the four weeks that Davante Adams was injured last season, Jones caught 22 balls for 280 yards, an average of 5.5 catches for 70 yards per game, and three touchdown receptions. Jones will probably pick up where he left off the last time Davante was injured and lead the Packers in receptions this week.
For the Packers, the main linebacker for covering running backs is Christian Kirksey. He was brought in to replace Blake Martinez for this exact purpose because of his better speed and agility compared to Martinez. This will be his first big test as he will have to cover one of the best receiving backs in the league.
Raven Greene played 21 snaps last week, 36 percent of the Packers total defensive snaps, and he could see an increased role this week as a box safety, being a smaller and quicker option for covering the shifty Kamara.
The Saints will have Alex Anzalone and Demario Davis as linebackers to cover Jones, but he’s been drawing safeties and even cornerbacks to cover him occasionally. He got a few easy weeks early last season, but teams around the league have started to respect him and put more traditional coverage guys on him.
If Adams is, in fact, out, expect corners and safeties to be matched up on Jones often because he may be the Packers’ highest volume receiver. That will be guys like Malcolm Jenkins, Marcus Williams, and possibly even Janoris Jenkins or Marshon Lattimore.