Green Bay Packers: 3 Matchups to Watch in Week 13
By Kenny Jilek
Jon Runyan Jr. vs. Fletcher Cox
In a dream scenario for Runyan that no one would have seen coming at the beginning of the season, he will get the start against the team that his dad played with for nine seasons. Runyan Sr. was a fixture on the line for Philadelphia, playing 144 games in a row at right tackle for the team. Now, his son, in his rookie year, will get the chance to play against the team he grew up watching.
He’ll have no easy task on Sunday as he’ll take plenty of snaps across from Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. Cox is truly one of the best interior linemen in the NFL, and his contract backs it up, having the fifth-highest average yearly value for defensive tackles at $17.1 million per year. He’s made the Pro Bowl in four straight seasons and was an All-Pro in 2018 when he had 10.5 sacks. This season, Cox has 5.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss as he continues to be a force in the middle every game.
Cox will, of course, move around on the interior, so not all of his snaps will be taken against Runyan, but the matchup will surely exist, and this will be Runyan’s biggest test to date. He got his first NFL start under his belt last week under the lights against the Bears, but with Akiem Hicks out, his job got much easier.
If the Packers’ offensive line can keep Cox in check, they should have another big week on the ground. The rest of Philadelphia’s run defense is mediocre at best, as their 128.2 rushing yards given up per game ranks 24th in the league, though that may be due to high volume because of how often they are behind in games. Green Bay gashed the Bears between the tackles last week, and Runyan will be a huge key in them doing the same this week against the Eagles.