Is it time to panic for the NFL Green Bay Packers? They have now lost three straight games, and not to world-beaters either. Well, not in the opinion of most anyway.
And after blowing an eleven-point lead against Washington, BetAnySports customers can be excused for losing faith.
Aaron Rodgers, the four-time MVP, is saying, in so many words, R-E-L-A-X. Again.
“I’m not worried about this squad,” he told reporters at a press conference.
Rodgers does have some previous experience with this. His team was 4-6 coming out of a loss at FedEx Field in 2016. Then they went on a tear, winning eight straight and getting stopped one step from the Super Bowl.
Of course, back then his receiver situation was more settled. He came into this season having lost Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. And he’s had to watch as these wideouts have gone in and out of the lineup. Sammy Watkins has come back to action. But Randall Cobb is currently on injured reserve. Christian Watson had to sit out against the Commanders. This won’t be easy.
Rodgers has found himself having to play pitty-pat with the passing game. He threw the ball 35 times in Sunday’s 23-21 defeat, but for only 194 yards. That’s just 5.5 yards per attempt. And that isn’t going to get it done against Sunday night’s opponent, the Buffalo Bills.
The Packers travel for the NBC-televised affair, which kicks off at 8:20 PM ET at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY.
NFL Sunday Night Preview — Here are the numbers….
In the odds that have been posted at BetAnySports on this game, the Bills are a big favorite:
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | +11 ( -110 ) | 47½ ( -110 ) | +415 |  |
| Bills | -11 ( -110 ) | 47½ ( -110 ) | -565 | |
| ||||
It should be noted that this is the first time Aaron Rodgers has been a double-digit dog in any game he’s started.
NFL Sunday Night Preview — Other Packer milestones…and they’re not good
Green Bay went through an entire game on Sunday without converting in a third down situation. They lost a game to a team employing a backup quarterback (Taylor Heinicke). And this is the third straight game they’ve lost to a team that missed last year’s playoffs. They also have the dubious distinction of having lost to two teams (the Giants and Jets) from the same city.
The Packers have a pretty formidable ground game. In fact, they came into Sunday averaging 4.7 yards per carry. And Aaron Jones is consistently among the leaders in yards after contact. Yet, they ran the ball only twelve times for 38 yards against Washington. That’s just 25.5% of plays from scrimmage, and that’s unacceptable.
And Green Bay’s defense has now yielded 69% completions. That isn’t good.
NFL Sunday Night Preview — Stats? Let’s talk about the Bills
Most BetAnySports customers know a bit about the Bills’ resume. But we thought we might offer a refresher course.
Currently, Buffalo is:
- #1 in yards per drive on offense (44.8)
- #4 in yards per drive allowed on defense (27.7). So if you’re following along, that’s a net +17.1 yards.
- #2 in points allowed per drive (1.37)
- #1 in stuffing opponents’ rushing attempts (i.e., holding them to no gain or a loss). They’ve done that 27% of the time.
- #7 in opponents’ yards per pass attempt (6.0)
Josh Allen came into this week with 1980 passing yards, and projected over the 17-game slate, he would set a new NFL record. Stefon Diggs already has 49 receptions. Gabriel Davis is downright scary, averaging 27.4 yards per catch.
Gee, maybe it’s time for the Packers to panic after all.
NFL Sunday Night Preview — So what’s going to happen?
Well, the Packers are not going to get the ball far down the field. That’s because Buffalo’s scheme is designed to prevent explosive plays. Not that Green Bay is executing many explosive plays these days.
Buffalo is giving up just 3.5 yards per rush attempt. Still, maybe Green Bay’s hope is to try and play some “bully ball,” as New England did last year against the Bills. That is, in the game the Pats won.
Keep an eye on the injury ticker here. Watson is going to be a question. Linebacker Rashan Gary suffered a concussion on Sunday. WR Allen Lazard has a shoulder injury and had to leave Sunday’s game. Left tackle David Bakhtiari sat with a knee injury. Even with all hands on deck, things are difficult enough for Green Bay. Here, it might be tough to muster some offense.
I would probably be leaning toward the UNDER at this point, as I don’t see the Packers engaging in a shootout.
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