4 Key things to watch for and final thoughts on Packers vs. Saints
By Paul Bretl
What does the offensive line configuration look like, and how do the Packers hold up in the run game?
Elgton Jenkins is out, and David Bakhtiari is questionable. I think it’s safe to say that if the Packers are without Bakhtiari, Rasheed Walker will be the left tackle, but how they handle left guard is a bit of an unknown.
I dive into all the options here, but in short, they either have Royce Newman or Sean Rhyan start at guard and keep everyone else in their normal positions. Or Green Bay could move Zach Tom to left guard and have Yosh Nijman or Walker – depending on Bakhtiari’s status – at right tackle.
If it’s about getting the best five players on the field, then option 2 seems like the way to go. However, my guess is that because Tom has been so good and valuable at right tackle, they keep him there and start Newman or Rhyan at guard.
As already alluded to, the Packers have to be better in the run game. Putting themselves in predictable passing situations against this aggressive defense is not going to be a recipe for success. Green Bay’s lack of early down success in the second half against Atlanta played a contributing role to their overall offensive struggles. Matt LaFleur said earlier in the week that they are putting their entire run game operation under a microscope.
Through two games, the Saints’ defense is allowing 4.4 yards per rush to running backs and ranks 14th in pressure rate.
Can the Packers limit the Saints’ downfield passing attack?
This Saints offense wants to push the ball downfield. Coming into Sunday’s game, Derek Carr ranks first in pass attempts of 20-plus yards with 15, and he’s completed seven of them. Chris Olave’s six targets are the third-most among receivers, and Rashid Shaheed’s four targets are tied for the sixth-most.
"“They’ve got multiple players,” said LaFleur on Wednesday. “They got a lot of guys. I think Carr can sling it. He’s been doing it for years, and he’s going to give his guys opportunities. So definitely have a lot of explosive pieces that we need to make sure we limit those explosive attempts.”"
It’s going to be interesting to see how the Packers approach this game from a gameplan standpoint. If they want to focus on limiting the explosive pass play, we could see a lot of cover-2 from Green Bay.
However, the downside is that cover-2 is very susceptible against the run, especially if the Packers are in nickel, which they will likely be in for most of the day with Olave in the slot. With, traditionally, just two down linemen when in nickel, we could see New Orleans, whether it’s with running back Tony Jones or weapon Taysom Hill, pound the ball between the tackles, where they’ve found some success.
On the flip side, if the Packers try to take away the run, they could leave themselves exposed on the back end to the big passing play–which, again, the Saints are going to want to try to exploit. Jaire Alexander was added to the injury report on Friday and is questionable with a back injury.
As Joe Barry said on Thursday, every week has its own challenges, and this week for the Packers, its striking that balance between trying to limit the run while not giving up the big pass play. Because from a schematic standpoint, you can’t do both at the same time.