PACKERVILLE, U.S.A.: Giants at Packers (in London) Preview

Preview: Packers play 1st international game, facing Giants in London

The Associated Press

NEW YORK GIANTS (3-1) vs. GREEN BAY (3-1) at London, England

DATE/TIME: Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 • 9:30 a.m. EDT, NFL Network

SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 34-26-2

LAST MEETING: Packers beat Giants 31-13 on Dec. 1, 2019, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

LAST WEEK: Giants beat Chicago Bears 20-12 at home; Packers beat New England Patriots 27-24 in overtime at home.

GIANTS OFFENSE: OVERALL (22), RUSH (1), PASS (31), SCORING (18)

PACKERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (6), RUSH (7), PASS (16), SCORING (21)

GIANTS DEFENSE: OVERALL (15), RUSH (28), PASS (8), SCORING (T9)

PACKERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (5), RUSH (22), PASS (3), SCORING (7)

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Giants plus-1; Packers minus-3

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur has done the London trip twice before as an offensive coordinator and "didn't leave the hotel either time."

Safe to say he'd prefer star quarterback Aaron Rodgers — a Manchester City fan — not try to venture north for the Premier League champion's home game Saturday (though Rodgers could satisfy his soccer fix Friday night when the U.S. women's team faces European champion England in a friendly at Wembley Stadium).

The Packers' schedule for their first-ever international regular-season game doesn't leave much time for sightseeing. Same goes for the New York Giants (3-1). Both teams are scheduled to arrive in the British capital Friday morning ahead of Sunday's game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Rodgers, a four-time MVP, had hoped the Packers (3-1) would arrive earlier in the week "to experience a little bit of that culture" but he knows ultimately it's a business trip — a long-awaited one at that.

"For us, it's a dream," Rodgers said. "I've been talking about doing this for years, since they started this, couldn't wait to get over there, but nobody wants to give up a Green Bay Packer home game. So it's exciting to finally get a chance to go over."

Teams are now required to play internationally on a rotating basis, made easier by the addition of a 17th game. The Packers are Sunday's home team.

Rodgers was on hand this summer when Manchester City played at Lambeau Field, where striker Erling Haaland scored on his club debut. The quarterback exchanged jerseys with City players and told Haaland to "have a great season." So far, so good.

Packers rookie linebacker Quay Walker isn't worried about sightseeing, not with NFL rushing leader Saquon Barkley lining up for the Giants.

"I don't care nothing about London," the first-round draft pick said. "It's a great experience to travel outside the country. But we're just trying to get a 'W.'"

QB CONCERNS

The Giants head to London with question marks at quarterback. Daniel Jones sprained his left ankle last Sunday but was showing improvement by midweek. At practice Wednesday, he wore a pair of high-top red shoes for more support.

Tyrod Taylor was in the concussion protocol after he also left Sunday's 20-12 win over the Chicago Bears. Coach Brian Daboll tasked Barkley with taking direct snaps to help close out the game.

Practice-squad quarterback Davis Webb would be the third choice.

Jones' ability to run is key to New York's success. He has 18 rushing first downs — the most among quarterbacks and tied for third-most overall through four games. The fourth-year player is the team's second leading rusher and ran for two touchdowns last Sunday.

A one-dimensional Jones would make it easier for defenses to focus exclusively on Barkley.

"I'll continue to progress throughout the week and see how I feel," Jones said. "I'm confident in my ability to throw from the pocket, throw outside the pocket, and make plays from both."

New York's offense is averaging a league-leading 192.5 rushing yards per game — nearly double last season's 99.3-yard average.

TURNOVER TROUBLE

In each of LaFleur's first three seasons, the Packers committed the fewest or second-fewest turnovers in the league but they're not taking particularly good care of the ball this year.

Green Bay has turned the ball over seven times in its first four games and has a minus-3 turnover margin. It's an issue LaFleur knows the Packers must fix as they seek a fourth consecutive victory.

"Put too many on the ground, there's no doubt (that) once you do that, the other teams that are watching you, that are studying you, they kind of smell blood in the water," he said. "They're going to go after, relentlessly after that football. We know that that's going to happen. We've got to step up to the challenge."

GARY'S GOING FOR IT

Packers outside linebacker Rashan Gary has five sacks and collected at least one in each of Green Bay's first four games. He is the first Packer to record a sack in each of a season's first four games since Cullen Jenkins in 2010.

If Gary gets a sack Sunday, he would tie the Packers' franchise record for consecutive games with a sack: Tim Harris had a sack in five straight games in 1989, and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila did it in 2000-01.

JUGGLING ACT

Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard should feel right at home at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thanks to his pregame routine in which he juggles a soccer ball with his feet.

"It's helping me focus," Lazard said. "Especially when I started, I wasn't that talented or skilled. It required a lot more focus and just got my brain firing from that standpoint of locking in and details of how I was placing my foot to kick the ball and juggle it."

UNDEFEATED

The Giants won the first regular-season NFL game played in London when they beat the Miami Dolphins 13-10 in the mud at Wembley Stadium in 2007. Eli Manning completed 8 of 22 passes for 59 yards in the Week 8 game of their Super Bowl-winning campaign. New York then beat the Los Angeles Rams 17-10 in 2016 at Twickenham Stadium.

GIANTS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Saquon Barkley has an NFL-high 463 yards rushing and is coming off a 146-yard performance against the Bears. He’s gaining 5.5 yards per carry, way up from his average of 3.7 yards per rush last season. He’s just 130 yards away from matching his 2021 season rushing total.

PACKERS PLAYER TO WATCH: OLB Rashan Gary has five sacks and has had at least one in each of the Packers’ four games. He’s the first Packer to have a sack in each of the first four weeks of a season since Cullen Jenkins in 2010.

KEY MATCHUP: Barkley vs. Packers run defense: The Packers allowed New England to rush for 167 yards and average 5.1 yards per carry. Chicago’s David Montgomery rushed for 122 yards on just 15 carries at Green Bay earlier this season. Barkley’s a much more dangerous runner than Montgomery or anyone on the Patriots roster.

KEY INJURIES: Giants QB Daniel Jones sprained his left ankle against the Bears, but practiced on a limited basis Wednesday… Giants backup QB Tyrod Taylor and S Julian Love are in the concussion protocol and uncertain to play… Giants CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf), WR Kenny Golladay (knee) and DL Henry Mondeaux (ankle) probably won’t play… There is concern about Giants LB Azeez Ojulari (calf) and DL Leonard Williams (knee)… Giants OT Evan Neal (neck) should play and WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring) and WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) are close to returning after missing last week… Packers WR Sammy Watkins (hamstring) is on injured reserve and will miss a second straight game… Packers S Adrian Amos left the Patriots game to be evaluated for a head injury… Packers CB Jaire Alexander (groin) missed the Patriots game, but was practicing on a limited basis this week.

SERIES NOTES: The Packers have won their past three matchups with the Giants. That includes a 38-13 home victory in a wild-card playoff game on Jan. 8, 2017… The Giants had won the previous three meetings before the Packers’ current streak… The Packers faced the Giants in the NFL championship in 1938, 1939, 1944, 1961 and 1962. The Packers won all those games except for 1938… The Giants beat the Packers 23-20 in overtime in an NFC championship game on Jan. 20, 2008. That was Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre’s last game as a Packer… The Giants also defeated the Packers 37-20 in a divisional playoff game on Jan. 15, 2012.

STATS AND STUFF: The Giants are undefeated in two previous games in England, including a 17-10 win over the Rams on Oct. 23, 2016, at Twickenham Stadium… Giants QB Daniel Jones ran for two touchdowns last weekend and his 193 yards rushing are the NFL’s third most at his position… Barkley leads the NFL with 570 yards from scrimmage and he is only player with three games of 125-plus all-purpose yards… Giants WR Richie James leads New York with 15 catches for 155 yards. In his previous game against Green Bay on Nov. 5, 2020, while with San Francisco, he set career highs with nine catches for 184 yards and a TD… The previous time the Giants had four wins in their first five games was 2009, when they opened 5-0 and finished 8-8… Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has 500 career touchdown passes including regular-season and playoff games, becoming just the fifth player to reach that plateau. The others are Tom Brady (716), Drew Brees (608), Peyton Manning (579) and Favre (552)… If Gary has a sack in a fifth straight game, he would match the longest streak in Packers history. Tim Harris had a sack in five straight games in 1989) and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila matched that achievement in 2000-01… Packers P Pat O’Donnell has landed 11 of his punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, matching Houston’s Cameron Johnston for the most of anyone in the NFL… Packers WR Romeo Doubs is the first Green Bay rookie to catch a TD pass in consecutive games since TE Richard Rodgers did it in 2014. Doubs has 19 catches, the most by any Packers rookie through the first four games of a season… Packers RB Aaron Jones is gaining 6.8 yards per carry. That’s the best average through the first four games of a season by any Packer with a minimum of 40 carries through that stretch. Jones is the first Packer to have two 100-yard rushing performances within the first four games of a season since Ahman Green in 2004… The Packers are playing their first international game.