Packers-49ers Highlights

Check out the NFL’s Packers vs. 49ers game highlights HERE.

Green Bay at San Francisco Game Capsule

From various sources

Packers make another Bay Area trip to face 49ers

By The Associated Press

GREEN BAY (1-1) at SAN FRANCISCO (2-0)

Day /Time: Sunday, 7:20 p.m. CDT, NBC
OPENING LINE: 49ers by 4, according to FanDuel SportsBook
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Green Bay 1-1; San Francisco 1-1
SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 37-32-1.
LAST MEETING: Packers won 34-17 on Nov. 5, 2020 at 49ers.
LAST WEEK: Packers beat Lions 35-17; 49ers beat Eagles 17-11
PACKERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (29), RUSH (28), PASS (27), SCORING (26).
PACKERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (29), PASS (7), SCORING (23).
49ERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (18), RUSH (9), PASS (15), SCORING (8).
49ERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (19), RUSH (27), PASS (14), SCORING (10).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Packers minus-1; 49ers minus-1.

PACKERS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Aaron Jones. Jones had three TD catches and a TD run on Monday night vs. Detroit, giving him 42 TDs over his past 40 games. Jones became the eighth RB since 1950 and first since Danny Woodhead in 2015 with at least three TD catches and a TD run in the same game. Jones’ four games with at least three TDs since 2019 are the most in the NFL in that span.

49ERS PLAYER TO WATCH: CB Josh Norman. The 33-year-old Norman made his San Francisco debut last week and had two pass interference penalties but otherwise looked solid against the Eagles. He will have a much tougher test this week when he has to match up with 2020 All-Pro Davante Adams.

KEY MATCHUP: San Francisco DE Nick Bosa vs. Green Bay tackles. Bosa looks back to the form he had in 2019 when he won Defensive Rookie of the Year and dominated the Packers. Green Bay has serious questions at left tackle with 2020 All-Pro David Bakhtiari out with a knee injury and Elgton Jenkins out with an ankle injury.

KEY INJURIES: Bakhtiari remains on the PUP list for Green Bay and OLB Za’Darius Smith is also sidelined by a bad back… Jenkins hurt his ankle Monday night and didn’t make the trip… The Niners are banged-up at RB with Raheem Mostert going down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 and Jamycal Hasty now sidelined by an ankle injury. Elijah Mitchell (shoulder) is doubtful but Trey Sermon (concussion) has been cleared to play.

SERIES NOTES: The Packers are making their fourth trip to Levi’s Stadium in the past 22 months. The Niners won the first two of those meetings in the 2019 regular season and the NFC title game that season with Green Bay winning last year… Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 305 yards and four TDs in the meeting last season and has a 106.9 rating in eight regular-season starts against San Francisco… Adams had 10 catches for 173 yards and a TD last year in the matchup… 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo has won both starts against Green Bay, throwing for 253 yards and two TDs in a 37-8 win in the 2019 regular season and throwing just eight passes in the NFC title game.

STATS AND STUFF: Rodgers moved past John Elway into 10th place on the career yardage list with 51,633 yards passing… Rodgers had his 25th game with at least four TD passes and no INTs, one behind Tom Brady and Drew Brees for the most ever… Green Bay has a league-low one sack on the season… The Niners won road games the first two weeks for the fifth time. They went to the Super Bowl the last three times that happened, winning it all in 1988 and ’89 and losing in the 2019 season… San Francisco has failed to score on the opening drive in eight straight games, with four three-and-outs, two other punts, a lost fumble, and a fourth-down stop. That’s the longest drought for the Niners since an 11-gamer in 2007-08… San Francisco had two TD drives last week that were longer than 90 yards for the first time since Dec. 6, 1992, against Miami, according to Elias Sports Bureau… Garoppolo had a TD pass and TD run last week in the same game for second time in his career.

TRADE TALK: When reports surfaced before the draft that Rodgers might be traded, Shanahan didn’t really believe it, but still called Packers coach Matt LaFleur just to check. He quickly got the answer he expected and the Niners went on to take Trey Lance with the third pick in the draft. “I thought it’d be a quick no,” he said. “I think everyone knew what was going on at that time that it didn’t seem like it was worth the call, but I know how we would’ve felt if it was going to happen and we didn’t call. So, you call, you get a quick answer which what was what you’re expecting and then you move on.”

FAMILIAR FOE: The Packers are making their fourth trip to Levi’s Stadium in less than two years. They lost in the regular season in November 2019 and then again two months later in the playoffs in what was the last meaningful game with fans at San Francisco. Green Bay won the matchup last November in the Niners’ last home game before they got relocated to Arizona for the final month because of COVID-19 protocols.

WEEK 3 NFL SCHEDULE:

(All times Central)

Thursday, September 23
Carolina 24, Houston 9

Sunday, September 26
Washington at Buffalo FOX 12:00
Chicago at Cleveland FOX 12:00
Baltimore at Detroit CBS 12:00
Arizona at Jacksonville FOX 12:00
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City CBS 12:00
New Orleans at New England FOX 12:00
Atlanta at New York Giants FOX 12:00
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh CBS 12:00
Indianapolis at Tennessee CBS 12:00
New York Jets at Denver CBS 3:05
Miami at Las Vegas CBS 3:05
Tampa Bay at Los Angeles Rams FOX 3:25
Seattle at Minnesota FOX 3:25
Green Bay at San Francisco NBC 7:20

Monday, September 27
Philadelphia at Dallas ESPN 7:15

Green Bay at San Francisco Capsule

 

NFL Week 3 TV Maps

Here are the NFL Week 3 TV coverage maps. The Green Bay vs. San Francisco game is Sunday night at 7:20 p.m. on NBC (Maps courtesy of 506 Sports).

Week 3 NFL Preview

Ted Thompson Tribute

At halftime during last night’s Lions-Packers Monday night game, there was a tribute to former General Manager Ted Thompson. His family was present and his name was unveiled on the northeastern corner of the stadium façade. The images seen here are from the short video the Packers posted today, but it would be better if they posted the video that was played during the stadium ceremony. 

Thompson was notable in Green Bay for his reticence and his steady, quiet faith. On January 1, 2018, it was reported that Thompson would no longer be the general manager of the Packers but would remain with the team in an advisory role. One day later, it was announced that Thompson's new position would be the senior advisor to football operations. Four days after his Packers Hall of Fame induction on May 4, 2019, Thompson revealed that he had been suffering from an autonomic disorder, and he spent his remaining time in his hometown of Atlanta, Texas. He passed away on January 20, 2021, at age 68.

Lions at Packers Game Highlights, and More

The highlights of the Lions at Packers Monday night game can be seen HERE.

The post-game press conferences of RB Aaron Jones, QB Aaron Rodgers, and Head Coach Matt LaFleur can be seen HERE.

Packers Win the Home Opener

Detroit at Green Bay — Week 2 Game Program

 

Detroit at Green Bay — Week 2 Videos

In advance of tonight’s home-opener with the Detroit Lions, we are providing links to video previews from the NFL and the Packers. Above, the NFL Network’s Week 2 Game Preview can be seen HERE.

Trailer: Packers vs. Lions can be seen HERE.

Final Thoughts: Packers vs. Lions can be seen HERE.

It’s GameDay!

 

Detroit at Green Bay Game Capsule

From various sources

DETROIT (0-1) AT GREEN BAY (0-1):
PLACE: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
DATE / TIME: Monday, September 20, 7:15 p.m. (CT)

TELEVISION: ESPN
SERIES: Packers lead 104-72-7; Packers beat Lions 34-27, Dec. 13, 2020
LAST WEEK: Lions lost 41-33 to San Francisco 49ers at Detroit. Packers lost 38-3 to New Orleans Saints in Jacksonville, Florida

PACKERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (32), RUSH (32), PASS (26), SCORING (32)

PACKERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (30), PASS (3), SCORING (30)

LIONS OFFENSE: OVERALL (8), RUSH (16), PASS (8), SCORING (8)

LIONS DEFENSE: OVERALL (28), RUSH (22), PASS (23), SCORING (8)

The final game of Week 2 features NFC North rivals that each lost concerning games in Week 1. The Green Bay Packers were blown off the field by the New Orleans Saints, 38-3, while the Detroit Lions were on their way to being blown out before staging a furious fourth-quarter comeback that ultimately fell short against the San Francisco 49ers. 

Aaron Rodgers and company have an opportunity to get back on track in a Monday night home game, but Dan Campbell's crew showed last week that it will fight until the final whistle -- no matter how futile it seems. Can the Packers even their record at 1-1, or will the Lions plunge them into an even deeper hole? 

WHEN THE LIONS HAVE THE BALL

The strength of the Lions' roster is their offensive line -- even with left tackle Taylor Decker out. Rookie Penei Sewell acquitted himself nicely in the switch back to his natural side of the line (he'd struggled at right tackle during the preseason), while the interior linemen cleared the way for D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams to rush for 93 yards on 20 carries, or about 4.7 a pop. 

Meanwhile, the Saints ran all over the Packers last week, with Alvin Kamara and Tony Jones taking their 31 carries for 133 yards. Green Bay's style of defense invites opposing offenses to run the ball and try to be patient while matriculating it downfield. If you can find success against light boxes, there are opportunities to be had. It's typically easier said than done, but Green Bay will be without the best defender among its front seven, with Za'Darius Smith going on injured reserve earlier this week. 

Without Smith, it'll also be more difficult for Green Bay to get pressure on Jared Goff, who is among the quarterbacks most affected by pressure in the entire league. The Packers still have Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Jonathan Garvin and Kenny Clark to push the pocket, but none has the ceiling or consistency of Za'Darius Smith, who has been among the NFL leaders in pressures in each of his two seasons with Green Bay. 

The issue for the Lions is that even if Goff has time, their receivers on the outside leave a lot to be desired. Kalif Raymond led the group in snaps last week, followed by Amon-Ra St. Brown and Trinity Benson. Tyrell Williams played a lot early, though, and if he can make a go of it Monday night, he could see a lot of coverage from shutdown Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander. Attacking Kevin King on the opposite side has occasionally proven fruitful for opposing offenses in the past, but Chandon Sullivan could also be vulnerable in the slot. 

Detroit's best two pass-catchers are likely Swift and T.J. Hockenson, which means the Packers' linebackers and safeties will have to be at the top of their respective games. De'Vondre Campbell, Krys Barnes, Adrian Amos, and Darnell Savage will have their work cut out for them with two very different weapons testing their capabilities on pretty much every snap. 

Swift and Hockenson hauled in 16 of 21 combined targets last week, gaining 162 yards and and each player notching a score through the air. The Packers gave up two touchdowns to Saints tight end Juwan Johnson in Week 1 and another to Kamara. The opportunities for the Lions to create plays should be there against a defense that has often had issues containing backs and tight ends in the pass game.   

WHEN THE PACKERS HAVE THE BALL

I hope Matt LaFleur just burned the game tape of Green Bay's 38-3 loss to the Saints. There's nothing the Packers can really take away from it that will be useful to them the rest of the season anyway. (Green Bay's third possession of the game didn't come until there was just 1:07 left in the second quarter. It's understandable that the Packers lacked rhythm.) 

Here, they have an opportunity to bounce back in a big way. The Lions gave up 104 yards on 19 carries to sixth-round rookie Elijah Mitchell, allowed Jimmy Garoppolo to complete 17 of 25 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown and yielded an additional score to Trey Lance. 

An already-thin secondary was further depleted by the season-ending injury to Jeff Okudah, who suffered a ruptured Achilles and gave up a 79-yard catch-and-run touchdown to Deebo Samuel. Without him, it's Amani Oruwariye, Ifeatu Melifonwu and AJ Parker who will likely get the majority of the reps at corner. That's a lot of opportunity for Rodgers and Davante Adams, in particular, to eat. (Melifonwu is probably the best fit to defend Adams due to his combination of size and athleticism, but that's a lot to ask of a rookie cornerback in his second NFL game.) Detroit also showed vulnerability to the deep pass in Week 1, which could give the Packers a chance to hit a big play to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who saw eight targets but gained only 17 yards in the opener. 

There's further opportunity for Aaron Jones and/or A.J. Dillon to get going after the duo combined for only 28 yards on nine carries last week. Green Bay has typically run the ball quite well during LaFleur's two-year tenure, so last week looks a lot like an aberration. Detroit drafted both Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill to help shore up its run defense, but that didn't work out so well against the Niners, who run the same style of offense as do the Packers. (LaFleur's Shanahan-style run game features a lot of zone rushes.) 

If the line can keep Rodgers well protected and give the backs more room to run than they did last week, the Packers should not have much trouble moving the ball up the field against a defense that was carved up by a similar stylistic offense with worse quarterback play a week ago.

LIONS NOTES:
QB JARED GOFF passed for 338 yards & 3 TDs vs. INT for 92.6 rating in Week 1. Has 26 games with 300+ pass yards since 2017, 3rd-most in NFL. Completed 21 of 27 attempts (77.8 pct.) for 174 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs for 105.9 rating in his only career start at GB (1/16/21 NFC-D w/ LAR). • RB D’ANDRE SWIFT had 104 scrimmage yards (65 rec., 39 rush), career-high 8 receptions & 3rd-career TD catch in Week 1. Had rush TD in last meeting. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. NFC North with rush TD. RB JAMAAL WILLIAMS had 110 scrimmage yards (56 rec., 54 rush), rush TD & tied his career high with 8 catches last week. Spent 4 seasons (2017-20) with GB & had 2,946 scrimmage yards (1,985 rush, 961 rec.) & 18 TDs (10 rush, 8 rec.) in 60 games. • TE T.J. HOCKENSON had 8 receptions for team-high 97 rec. yards & TD catch last week. Had 6 catches & rec. TD in last meeting. Has 5+ catches in 3 of his past 4 vs. NFC North. WR QUINTEZ CEPHUS had 3rd-career rec. TD in Week 1 & aims for his 3rd in row with TD catch. • LB JAMIE COLLINS had 7th-career FR in Week 1. Has sack in 2 of his 3 career games vs. GB. Aims for his 4th in row vs. GB with 5+ tackles. LB TREY FLOWERS had 10th-career FF last week. LB ROMEO OKWARA has sack in 2 of his past 3 vs. NFC North. DB TRACY WALKER had 7 tackles & 2nd-career sack in Week 1. Aims for his 3rd in row with sack. Has PD in 3 of his past 4 vs. GB. CB WILL HARRIS had career-high 7 tackles in Week 1.

PACKERS NOTES:
QB AARON RODGERS has 25 TDs (24 pass, 1 rush) vs. 3 INTs for 118 rating in 9 career home starts on Monday. Has 2+ TD passes in 6 of his past 7 on MNF. Has 50 TDs (46 pass, 4 rush) vs. 8 INTs for 106.2 rating in 22 career starts vs. Det. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. Det. with 2+ pass TDs vs. 0 INTs & 105+ rating. Has 51,378 pass yards & can surpass HOFer JOHN ELWAY (51,475) for 10th-most pass yards in NFL history. • RB AARON JONES had 946 scrimmage yards (135.1 per game) & 6 TDs (4 rush, 2 rec.) in 7 home games last season. Has 25 TDs (22 rush, 3 rec.) in 26 career home games. Had career-high 236 scrimmage yards (career-best 168 rush, 68 rec.) & 3 TDs (2 rush, 1 rec.) in last home meeting. Aims for his 3rd in row on MNF with 100+ scrimmage yards & TD. • WR DAVANTE ADAMS has 90+ rec. yards & TD catch in 3 of his past 4 vs. Det. Has 35 receptions (8.8 per game) for 414 yards (103.5 per game) & 4 rec. TDs in his past 4 on MNF. Aims for his 3rd in row on MNF with 10+ receptions & 100+ rec. yards. Since 2016, leads NFL with 58 rec. TDs. TE ROBERT TONYAN had 98 rec. yards & career-high 3 TD catches in his last game on MNF (10/5/20 vs. Atl.). Aims for his 3rd in row vs. Det. with TD catch. • LB ZA’DARIUS SMITH aims for his 3rd in row at home vs. Det. with sack. Had 9.5 sacks in 8 home games in 2020. Has 7.5 sacks in his past 3 on MNF & aims for his 3rd in row on MNF with 3+ sacks. CB JAIRE ALEXANDER has PD in 3 of his 4 career games vs. Det.

ON THE AIRWAVES: TV: ESPN: Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters (field reporter) RADIO: Westwood One: Kevin Harlan, Tony Boselli. Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 49 stations in four states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play), two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) and three-time Packers Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro John Kuhn (sideline) will call the action. The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (XM 225, Streaming 811 WTMJ feed).

FIGHT FOR CALIFORNIA: Both Rodgers (selected No. 24 overall, 2005) and Lions quarterback JARED GOFF (No. 1, 2016) are former starting quarterbacks at the University of California. Both were drafted in the first round and both led their teams to a Super Bowl in their third seasons as an NFL starter (Rodgers in 2010, Goff with the Rams in 2018).

WEEK 2 NFL SCHEDULE
(All times Central)

Thursday, September 16

New York Giants 29, Washington, 30

Sunday, September 19

New Orleans 7, Carolina 26
Cincinnati 17, Chicago 20
Houston 21, Cleveland 31
Los Angeles Rams 27, Indianapolis 24
Denver 23, Jacksonville 13
Buffalo 35, Miami 0
New England 25, New York Jets 6
San Francisco 17, Philadelphia 11
Las Vegas 26, Pittsburgh 17
Minnesota 33, Arizona 34
Atlanta 25, Tampa Bay 48
Dallas 20, Los Angeles Chargers 17
Tennessee 33, Seattle 30
Kansas City 35, Baltimore 36

Monday, September 20

Detroit at Green Bay ESPN 7:15

Detroit at Green Bay — Week 2

2021 NFL Rosters Data

 

NFL Week 2 TV Maps

Here are the NFL Week 2 TV coverage maps. The Home-Opener Detroit-Green Bay game is Monday night at 7:15 p.m.(CT) on ESPN (Maps courtesy of 506 Sports).

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#greenbay #packers #gopackgo #titletown #lambeaufield #nfl #DETvsGB #MNF

Packers at Saints Game Highlights

For all of the football masochists out there, you can view the complete “highlights” of the season-opening Packers-Saints game HERE.

Packers at Saints Disaster

Well, that was a disaster. Or, as Coach Matt LaFleur said, “an embarrassment.” One game does not make a season, but legitimate questions are being raised about the team’s preseason philosophy, its lackadaisical attitude, and the same for its QB and his offseason effect on things. Next Monday night’s matchup with divisional opponent Detroit will be a better indicator of what kind of team resides in Green Bay, Wisconsin. If you don’t normally listen to the Packers Radio Network postgame show, you can click the link below to help you unpack what you were feeling following the 38-3 loss.

Hear the WTMJ postgame show HERE.

NFL Season is Finally Here!

 

Packers at Saints Game Capsule

By The Associated Press

GREEN BAY (14-4) at NEW ORLEANS (13-5) 
(Game to be played at Jacksonville, Florida, due to Hurricane Ida)

DATE / TIME: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, Fox

OPENING LINE: Packers by 3½, according to FanDuel SportsBook

SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 17-9

LAST MEETING: Packers beat Saints 37-30 on Sept. 27, 2020, in New Orleans

PACKERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (5), RUSH (8), PASS (9), SCORING (1).

PACKERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (9), RUSH (13t), PASS (7), SCORING (14).

SAINTS OFFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (6), PASS (19), SCORING (5).

SAINTS DEFENSE: OVERALL (4), RUSH (4), PASS (5), SCORING (6).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Packers plus-7; Saints plus-9.

INJURY REPORT: GREEN BAY: OUT: S Vernon Scott (hamstring). QUESTIONABLE: DT Tyler Lancaster (back), LB Za'Darius Smith (back). NEW ORLEANS: OUT: CB Ken Crawley (hamstring), WR Tre'Quan Smith (hamstring). QUESTIONABLE: T James Hurst (knee).

PACKERS PLAYER TO WATCH: All-Pro WR Davante Adams is star QB Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target. Adams led the NFL last season with 18 touchdowns receiving and also tied for second in the league with 115 catches. He tied for fifth with 1,374 yards receiving.

SAINTS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Alvin Kamara was the centerpiece of New Orleans’ offense last season and should be again following the retirement of NFL all-time leading passer Drew Brees. In 2020, Kamara led the Saints with 932 yards and 16 TDs rushing and with 83 receptions for 756 yards. His 21 TDs from scrimmage led the NFL.

KEY MATCHUP: Adams against Saints top CB Marshon Lattimore. This marquee matchup didn’t take place last season because Adams sat out with an injury. Lattimore, the Saints top draft choice in 2017, when he was also Defensive Rookie of the Year, is now in the final year of his contract and looking to build on his credentials as an elite pass defender.

KEY INJURIES: The Packers are playing without All-Pro OT David Bakhtiari, who is opening the season on the physically unable to perform list after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament on Dec. 31… The Saints will be without top WR Michael Thomas, who also is on the PUP list because of ankle surgery in June.

SERIES NOTES: The Saints have won two of the past three meetings, in 2014 and ’17, and are 4-2 against Green Bay with Sean Payton coaching (not counting a 2012 loss to the Packers when Payton was suspended)… Rodgers is 3-2 in career starts vs. New Orleans with 1,580 yards and 13 TDs passing against six INTs.

STATS AND STUFF: The game was moved out of the Superdome and to Jacksonville because the New Orleans area is recovering from Hurricane Ida. It’s the first Saints home game scheduled for the Superdome to be moved since Hurricane Katrina displaced the club in 2005. The only other Saints home game played outside the dome since then was part of the NFL’s international series in London… Rodgers won his third MVP last season and led the NFL in passer rating, touchdown passes, completion percentage and interception percentage. He was the first player to lead the league in all four categories since Steve Young in 1992… Packers K Mason Crosby has made 18 consecutive field-goal attempts. The only two longer streaks in team history also were Crosby’s. He made 23 straight from 2010-11 and 19 in a row from 2013-14… Green Bay has won its season opener each of the last six years, matching the Kansas City Chiefs for the NFL’s longest active streak… QB Jameis Winston, a 2015 first overall draft choice by Tampa Bay, is slated to make his first start for New Orleans since joining the Saints in free agency in 2020… Winston passed for 270 yards and two TDs vs. no INTs in his only start vs. Green Bay on Dec. 3, 2017… In 2019 with the Buccaneers, Winston led the NFL in yards passing with 5,109 and ranked second in TDs passing with 33, but also led the league with 30 interceptions… Saints DE Cameron Jordan had 7½ sacks in 2020 and ranks fourth in the NFL with 93½ sacks since 2012. He also is the only player with at least seven sacks in each of the past nine seasons… Saints LB Demario Davis has at least 100 tackles in each of his past four seasons. Davis and Tampa Bay’s Lavonte David are the only LBs with at least 400 tackles and 40 or more tackles for losses since 2017.

SEASON PREVIEW: GREEN BAY PACKERS (14-4)

NEW FACES: Defensive coordinator Joe Barry, LB De’Vondre Campbell, WR Randall Cobb, C Josh Myers OG Royce Newman, WR Amari Rodgers, CB Eric Stokes

KEY LOSSES: LB Christian Kirksey, C Corey Linsley, special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga, defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, OT Rick Wagner, RB Jamaal Williams

STRENGTHS: Reigning MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers leads an offense that features All-Pro WR Davante Adams and Pro Bowl RB Aaron Jones. The Packers scored a league-high 31.8 points per game during the regular season. All-Pro LT David Bakhtiari tore his anterior cruciate ligament on Dec. 31 but will be back at some point to protect Rodgers’ blind side. Jaire Alexander is one of the league’s elite cornerbacks. OLB Za’Darius Smith has 26 sacks over the last two seasons. Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage form a quality safety tandem.

WEAKNESSES: The Packers lost an All-Pro center when Linsley left for the Chargers. Green Bay could be starting two rookie offensive linemen in Myers and Newman. Although K Mason Crosby made all his field-goal attempts last season, the Packers struggled so much in other aspects of special teams that head coach Matt LaFleur fired Shawn Mennenga as coordinator and replaced him with Maurice Drayton. Special teams remained an issue during the preseason. The Packers also lost two of their better special teams performers in camp when they placed Randy Ramsey and Will Redmond on injured reserve.

CAMP DEVELOPMENT: Packers fans breathed a collective sigh of relief when Rodgers reported to camp after skipping Green Bay’s organized team activities and mandatory minicamp in a standoff with team officials. Rodgers has said he doesn’t know whether this will be his final season in Green Bay. The Packers acquired Cobb at the start of camp after Rodgers suggested making that move. One camp surprise was the emergence of Newman, a fourth-round pick from Mississippi who seemed on the verge of locking down a starting guard spot.

EXPECTATIONS: The uncertainty surrounding their MVP quarterback’s future makes this year vital for the Packers as they chase the Super Bowl berth that has eluded them since their 2010 championship season. The Packers have lost in the NFC championship game four of the last seven years, including each of the last two seasons. This may be their best shot at reaching the Super Bowl for quite some time.

THURSDAY’s GAME:
Tampa Bay 31, Dallas 29

SUNDAY’S GAME:

Arizona 38, Tennessee 13

Carolina 19, N.Y. Jets 14

Cincinnati 27, Minnesota 24, OT

Houston 37, Jacksonville 21

L.A. Chargers 20, Washington 16

Philadelphia 32, Atlanta 6

Pittsburgh 23, Buffalo 16

San Francisco 41, Detroit 33

Seattle 28, Indianapolis 16

Denver 27, N.Y. Giants 13

Kansas City 33, Cleveland 29

Miami 17, New England 16

New Orleans 38, Green Bay 3

L.A. Rams 34, Chicago 14

MONDAY’S GAME:
Las Vegas 33, Baltimore 27 (OT)

Packers at Saints Week 1 Videos

In advance of Sunday’s season-opener with the New Orleans Saints, we are providing links to video previews from the NFL and the Packers. Above, the NFL Network’s Week 1 Game Preview can be seen HERE.

Total Packers: Season Preview can be seen HERE. 

NFL 2021 Season Preview: Storylines, Predictions, and More! can be seen HERE.