The Green Bay Packers are a big pain for opponents on both sides of the ball. Their skill players are as good as anyone in the NFL, although they do not have a true No. 1 receiver for Jordan Love to throw the football to. Josh Jacobs is the league’s seventh-leading rusher, and the defense has forced the most turnovers.
The Packers will challenge the Rams on Sunday, nudging the latter a little closer to that .500 mark. For Green Bay to secure this victory, they’ll have to win these three critical matchups.
WR Jayden Reed vs DB Quentin Lake
Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed has been in the midst of a breakout sophomore season for Green Bay and has quickly established himself as one of the most explosive players in the NFL. YAC demon is an understatement as he currently sits with the sixth most in the NFL at 158. Christian Watson is likely out against the Rams which will open up more opportunities for Reed.
Jayden Reed can usually be found lined up in the slot, which means Rams defensive back Quentin Lake will have to deal with his quickness off the line for most of the game. Lake has been the best defensive back on Los Angeles this season, so another strong performance could help limit the damage done by Reed. RB Josh Jacobs vs LB Troy Reeder
Packers running back Josh Jacobs currently ranks seventh in the league in yards but is overdue for a touchdown after failing to record one through four games. Green Bay’s offense has looked great with Jordan Love, and Jacobs has a good matchup on Sunday to notch his first TD.
The Rams’ run defense is one of the weakest in the league, surrendering the most yards per game (165.5). They allow 4.98 yards per carry and are currently ranked 30th in run defense success rate. Every starting running back has hit their mark this season against the Rams: David Montgomery with 17 carries for 99 yards, James Conner with 21 carries for 122 yards, Jordan Mason with 19 carries for 71 yards, and DeAndre Swift with 16 carries for 93 yards. LT Rasheed Walker vs OLB Jared Verse
It is not the start to the season that the Packers had in mind for left tackle Rasheed Walker. He carries six penalties into week 5 of the NFL season, most of them came at crucial times. Walker needs to cut down on the penalties as he has a big matchup this week against Jared Walker.
Rams outside linebacker Jared Verse has just really missed a lot of tackles, otherwise had a great start to his rookie year, with 19 tackles and winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month. He’s been flying under the radar since the Rams are bad. Verse has been producing like one of the best edges in the league.
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