5 Big Questions ahead of Packers Week 3 matchup with Bucs
By Paul Bretl
Can the Packers win the turnover battle?
It’s been an uncharacteristic start to the season for the Packers in terms of their sloppiness with the football.
A late interception by Jaire Alexander against Chicago once the game was already put away saved Green Bay from losing the turnover battle for the second week in a row. They’ve currently given the ball away three times, including two fumbles, and are minus-two in the turnover battle.
Tampa Bay, on the other hand, has been very opportunistic. Their six turnovers forced are tied for the third-most through two games, and as LaFleur discussed, they have been very good at forcing fumbles–finishing with the second-most in 2021.
Given the offensive limitations for each team, this has the makings of being a close and low-scoring game, which only magnifies the importance of winning the turnover battle. One lost possession could be the difference between a win and a loss.
What does the Packers’ wide receiver room look like on Sunday?
There will once again be a lot of attention on the Packers’ wide receiver room this week, but this time, it is in regards to who is actually available.
The good news is that Allen Lazard does not have an injury designation, despite missing a practice earlier in the week. Green Bay will, however, be without Sammy Watkins, while Christian Watson is questionable with a hamstring injury, and Randall Cobb is questionable with an illness.
LaFleur has already said that Romeo Doubs will be playing a larger role, and depending on the statuses of Cobb and Watson, that may also be true for Samori Toure and Juwann Winfree.
Green Bay will be facing a stingy Bucs passing defense that ranks first by Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric. This is a defense that also likes to blitz often and does well at generating pressure, which likely isn’t going to give Aaron Rodgers a lot of time to make something happen in the passing game. I’d expect a lot of quick passes.
Moving the ball for the Packers offense will begin with finding success in the run game, but they obviously can’t be one-dimensional either–or at least not against a defense of this caliber. Green Bay will have to find a way to move the ball through the air as well. This could end up being a big day for Robert Tonyan or Aaron Jones in the passing game.