The Green Bay Packers have a tall task ahead. The Los Angeles Chargers come to Green Bay and bring one of the best QB’s in the NFL. You might ask, what will it take to win at home? Here are the three keys to victory against the Chargers.
Green Bay Packer Defense Must Make Herbert Uncomfortable
Yet again, Justin Herbert is proving why the Chargers drafted him sixth overall in the 2020 NFL draft. He makes throws only one other player in the league can make(Mahomes). Through nine games, Herbert has thrown for 2,349 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Herbert has played well through a finger fracture on his non-throwing hand and has a 99.5 QB rating to back it up. However, when Herbert is under pressure, his rating falls to 67, and he has thrown four of his five interceptions on the season.
The Packers need to make Herbert move out of the pocket and throw his timing off. The Chargers have suffered some injuries at the receiver position and are lacking some of that downfield production Herbert is usually great at. When throwing beyond 20 yards, Herbert has a passer rating of 82.6 and has two touchdowns and two interceptions. I would like to see the Packers play a little more pressure coverage and challenge Herbert and these receivers to make plays downfield.
Blitzing Herbert is a mistake. I repeat blitzing Herbert is a mistake. This season, when blitzed, Herbert is completing 68.6 percent of his passes and has ten touchdowns and three interceptions. The Packers front four need to step up and create pressure without help, or it could be a long day. Which brings me to the next key.
Rashan Gary Needs to Feast
The Chargers O-line has been healthy most of the season except for their standout left tackle Rashawn Slater. Outside of Slater, this offensive line hasn’t been very good. According to PFF, none of the other four offensive linemen rank higher than 30th at their respective positions. As I mentioned previously, Herbert plays well when blitzed. If Gary and the company can’t get home rushing four against this line, it might be time for buyer’s remorse.
Hopefully, Gary can go. Coach Lafluer mentioned in his Friday presser that a “mishap” at practice could keep him out of the lineup. Gary hasn’t recorded a sack in the last four games. Gary’s last sack was against the Raiders and an immobile Jimmy G. This is the perfect match-up to get his mojo back and show why the Packers gave him that contract extension. If Gary cannot go, I would like to see a healthy dose of LVN.
Let Jordan Love Sling It
Let Jordan Love air it out. Last week was a good stepping stone to show that Love is growing. It is still a work in progress, though. This week is the perfect test to see what you can achieve with Love behind center. The Chargers defense is dead last in passing yards allowed per game (291.2 YPG). It is hard to believe when you list names like J.C Jackson, Derwin James, and Asante Samuel.
It is even more challenging to believe when you pair that terrible pass defense with the fourth-best pass rush in football. This season, the Chargers have generated 31 sacks. Only the Chiefs, Ravens, and Bills have more. If the Packers can keep this pass rush honest by not getting into 3rd and long situations. They will have a chance to take some shots downfield and move the sticks.
Love has yet to throw for more than 300 yards in a game. The Packers might need that kind of performance to keep up with the 7th best-scoring team in football. At some point, you need to know if Love can win games like this. We are nine games into the season. If Love can’t get it done at home against the 32nd-ranked pass defense, it might be time to raise the white flag. I hope he proves me wrong as this game becomes a legacy game for a very long and successful career.
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