Green Bay Packers v. Titans: 3 Key X-Factors in Heavyweight Matchup
By Paul Bretl
Green Bay Packers LBs
In case you didn’t know or had forgotten, the NFL’s leading rushing Derrick Henry is coming to Lambeau Field this weekend. Henry is nearing the 1,700 rushing mark and also leads the league in rushing touchdowns with 15.
Realistically, the Packers aren’t going to stop him. But what they need to do is limit the big play and not let him take the game over. A good example of this is when Green Bay faced Carolina and Christian McCaffrey in 2019. McCaffrey had over 140 all-purpose yards, but for the most part, he was contained and didn’t control the game.
Earlier this week, I wrote about how the Green Bay Packers’ run defense has been trending in the right direction. This is in part to simply better play up front, more aggressive play-calling from Mike Pettine, and better linebacker play with the return of Krys Barnes and Kamal Martin.
Run Defense Trending in the Right Direction. light. Related Story
This week, the Packers are going to need top-notch performances from all three of their linebackers. This group is going to play key roles in bringing down Henry at the second level and — hopefully — limiting those big plays that I mentioned, and they’ll also be filling holes at the line of scrimmage as well. On top of that, any missed tackles will be magnified and a capable presence in the middle of the field will provide a boost against the Titan passing game.