Green Bay Packers: 3 Matchups to watch in Week Three
By Kenny Jilek
David Bakhtiari vs. Cam Jordan
If you want to see a battle of two of the best in the game, watch these two face off on Sunday night. Both of these players are regarded around the league as the top of the game at their respective positions, and they’ll go at it in a battle that will greatly impact the entire Green Bay Packers’ passing game.
Jordan is a five-time Pro Bowler, once an All-Pro selection, and was on the Hall of Fame’s all 2010’s team. He’s had five seasons of double-digit sacks, and last season was his best at 15.5 sacks. If he can’t get past his rusher, he can still affect the passing game by knocking down throws at the line and has averaged 5.2 passes defended per year. This is not your everyday pass rusher. Jordan is the real deal and will be coming after Aaron Rodgers every single play.
Bakhtiari is up for the challenge, however, as he’s made two Pro Bowls and received one first-team All-Pro selection, although he probably should have been selected for a few more of those honors. In two games this year, Bak has a Pro Football Focus (subscription required) grade of 87.6, which is one of the best in the league.
Aaron Rodgers has been able to stay upright this year because of a few factors. His offensive line has been fantastic, even with all the shuffling they’ve had to do because of injuries, and Bakhtiari is no exception.
The other reason is that Rodgers is getting the ball out quickly. In each of Rodgers’ past five seasons, his time from snap to throw was around 2.7 seconds, but this season it has been 2.39 seconds. That may not seem like a big deal, but it’s significant in him getting the ball out and not putting tons of pressure on his offensive line to hold their blocks forever. Getting the ball out on time would help Bakhtiari immensely with this matchup and make Jordan a much more manageable matchup and, hopefully, a nonfactor.