The Green Bay Packers defend Lambeau against the New York Jets during the early time slot on October 16th. Each team sits at 3-2 to start their seasons, with entirely different expectations set for 2022. Aaron Rodgers and company look to bounce back after narrowly losing to the Giants in London in a game the Packers perhaps should’ve won.
The New York Jets are playing some of the best football they have played since Mark Sanchez led the team. Zach Wilson started off slow, but eventually dazzled during a 40-17 win over the Dolphins. Now, they will enter the great state of Wisconsin to take on the Packers in a must-win game for both teams.
The Packers Must Bounce Back
The season is quite young and the Packers have already been in two must-win situations. Now, must-win doesn’t mean the season is over or the team is in jeopardy following the loss. In both these situations, wins will take the pressure off the team mentally, as well as taking pressure off of them in the future when each game means more for the playoffs.
Green Bay has struggled thus far to find their identity. The team has the talent and skill to make a deep playoff run, but it hasn’t all clicked together yet. The Packers in particular have struggled to fully close out games this year and that damages the morale and emotions of the team. They need a win to keep the media and noise away and ensure the season heads down the right path.
The Jets are in a position they haven’t been in for a while, and so are the Packers. Winning right now would mean quite a bit to the team and take the tension away following the loss. Against the Giants, the Packers struggled in multiple aspects of their game, and it started with the star studded defense.
Packers Struggled on Long Drives
The Giants made it a game after long drives. They have two 11 play drives, one 15 play drive, and an eight play drive that they scored on to tie the game. All the drives had plenty in common as well. The Giants regularly gained anywhere between 5-15 yards. They didn’t have any major chunk plays and then a string of plays for no gain. Instead, they took whatever the defense gave them on the play and continued to chip away.
Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley also made it difficult. Jones rarely stayed in one spot and only took one sack because of his pocket awareness. Barkley hammered the ball 13 times and caught three passes. The Packers struggled to shut down the Giants when they needed to most and it caused extra sets of downs. In particular the team struggled in coverage, where Darnell Savage recorded a 36.2 coverage rating according to PFF. Along with him, Adrian Amos also recorded a 50.4 coverage rating.
Jones 14-yd rush + 5-yd penalty for holding on Douglas#Giants 13 #Packers 20 Q3 pic.twitter.com/CbUV4pzOtW
— Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) October 9, 2022
The other issues that occurred on defense involved penalties. The Packers had eight penalties in coverage against the Giants. Rasul Douglas alone was responsible for three coverage penalties and he earned a coverage rating of 37.1 to go along with his 27 tackling rating. It was a game to forget for Douglas, who has been solid and effective so far this year for the Packers. His issues during the game came when Daniel Jones was able to buy himself time. Being in coverage for extended periods of time hurt the Packers during the game, especially when the defense is out there for so long.
Is It Time for the Packers to Feed Aaron Jones?
Aaron Jones has gotten his share of carries so far. He is currently sixth in the NFL with 390 rushing yards and third in the league with an average of 6.4 yards per carry. However, Jones is tied for 20th with 61 rushing attempts and tied for 28th with one rushing touchdown. The 27-year old also has 14 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown.
Against New England and Chicago, Jones was able to surpass 100 rushing yards in a game this season. Through both games combined Jones had 31 rushes and six receptions, which seems like a stat line he might’ve recorded in a single game. Jones is known for ability to burst open massive runs and fly past the defense. The issue has been the lack of use so far. Even while splitting time with AJ Dillon, Jones is getting the touches of a starter for a bottom 5 team in the NFL.
After a touchback on the kick, Aaron Jones 11-yd rush#Giants 10 #Packers 17 2nd pic.twitter.com/LpAi6xceqB
— Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) October 9, 2022
His usage hasn’t been the same this season and analysts, as well as fans, have been calling for Jones to get the ball more. Now that the Packers sit at 3-2, it may be time to run the ball more with Jones and solidify the running game. If Green Bay can pick up five yards whenever they need to along with the ability of the big play Rodgers’ possesses, the Packers could fly through the Jets.
The Unmatched Jets Energy Enters Lambeau
If you are a Jets fan, right now is the time to be alive. Robert Saleh is running onto the field lifting players up after touchdowns. Quinnen Williams is stiff arming Tyreek Hill after recovering a rumble. Zach Wilson is griddying on the field after scoring a receiving touchdown. In recent memory, there has never been a happier 3-2 team.
The expectations have not been met, obviously, since Saleh was hired to turn the team around. The Jets, who seemingly are cursed by the injury bug, have proven to need a little more time than some had thought. However, it is clear Saleh has effectively installed his upbeat, energetic style into this team. They play football with passion, and as they have shown this season, they play with tenacity until the final second.
Look at Saleh with McGovern and Breece after the game winning touchdown#Jets have a lot to clean up, but it's easy to see why they have fight in the 4th quarter pic.twitter.com/zwQfKmcmJW
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) October 3, 2022
The Jets have managed to beat the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers from behind. The hype of the team jumping up and down could be felt through the television. There is no doubt Saleh has amplified this team, and now they will enter Lambeau with energy. The Packers need to keep their heads high to match the morale the Jets currently have.
Zach Wilson’s Time to Shine for Jets
Following the unfortunate preseason injury, Zach Wilson had to be sidelined until the Jets week four game against the Steelers. Wilson hasn’t been perfect since coming back, with two costly interceptions in his first game back, however he has managed to compose himself and lead the team past the mistakes. Wilson’s rookie campaign wasn’t what anyone had imagined for him and it was quite the roller coaster. Now, 2022 is a new season for the BYU product and if the Jets want to win more games, it will be dependent on the quarterback play.
Wilson has thrown for 462 yards and one touchdown through two games. He also has only rushed six times so far, which seems to be part of his maturation as a rusher. He has taken multiple hits so far in his young career that resulted in injuries, and most have occurred during his runs. Wilson seems to have learned from his running mistakes and he looks to pass first out of the pocket now. However, Wilson will still risk his body when it means scoring, like he did against the Dolphins.
Zach Wilson keeps it himself for the diving touchdown! #BYUPros | #Jets pic.twitter.com/abvYVTQTti
— Cougs in the Pros 🤙🏼 (@BYUpros) October 9, 2022
Wilson has developed as a passer as well, even if it hasn’t resulted in passing touchdowns yet. Looking through the highlights and watching Wilson, his eyes are constantly moving and his looking across the field at all of his reads. On his interceptions, he often eyes down one receiver and forces the pass without looking over every read, which also left open guys without the ball. On one play in particular against the Dolphins, Wilson looks across the field at all of his reads before he hits on open Breece Hall for a huge gain.
Zach Wilson hits Breece Hall for 79 yards pic.twitter.com/Tf2jbOH8zQ
— Main Team (@MainTeamSports2) October 9, 2022
Monstrous Jets Rush Game?
The Jets have plenty to talk about throughout the season thus far. However, perhaps the largest question emerging out of Jets camp is if a two headed monster is being created. Michael Carter and Breece Hall have split time in the backfield so far, but the second year player and rookie have united over the past few weeks to look fearsome.
BREECE HALL IS DRAGGING THE DOLPHINS 😱
(via @nyjets)pic.twitter.com/DmBVmOpao1
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 9, 2022
Breece Hall had 72 total yards last week and one touchdown during the victory over the Steelers. He also had 197 total yards and another touchdown against the Dolphins last week. The rookie has three already this season, and could see double digits in his combined touchdown total given the way he has played lately. The former Cyclone rushed for 3941 yards and 50 touchdowns in three collegiate seasons, as well as six receiving scores.
Michael Carter, on the other hand, is a second year player out of North Carolina. In college, Carter rushed for 3404 yards and 22 rushing touchdowns for an up and down UNC football program. During his rookie year, Carter recorded 639 rushing yards and four touchdowns to go along with 325 receiving yards on 36 receptions. So far this season Carter has 158 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Jets running backs could be a problem for the Packers. Green Bay must stop the run from the start and force Zach Wilson to run the offense if they want to slow the Jets down.
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