5 Big Questions Facing Green Bay Packers v. Detroit Lions
By Paul Bretl
Can the Green Bay Packers contain the red-hot Amon-Ra St. Brown?
He seems to be flying under the radar a bit, but Lions receiver Aman-Ra St. Brown has been on a tear since Week 13. During that span, St. Brown has been targeted 57 times and has caught 43 of those passes for 451 yards and four touchdowns.
With St. Brown taking a bulk of his snaps from the slot, he will primarily be Chandon Sullivan’s responsibility. Sullivan has had some ups and downs but has largely been effective this season. According to PFF ($$), Sullivan ranks third in both snaps per target and snaps per reception, as well as ninth in yards per snap among all slot cornerbacks.
Joe Barry’s M.O. as defensive coordinator is to take away the pass first with lightboxes and a cover-2 shell. This season Green Bay ranks ninth in average passing yards per game allowed and third in average yards per pass attempt. The defensive front’s ability to get after the quarterback has been a key contributor to the secondary’s success as well.
Bonus Question: How many sacks will Preston Smith have?
This is literally a bonus question. With Preston Smith taking a pay cut this season, he’s been able to earn back some of those lost dollars through sack incentives. At six sacks, he made $500,000, and at eight sacks, he made an additional $750,000.
Smith currently sits at nine sacks. If he reaches 10, that’s another $750,000, and if he can make it to 12, that’s $1.2 million more.