PACKERVILLE, U.S.A.: Jets at Packers Preview

Friends, siblings face off when Packers host surprising Jets

The Associated Press

October 12, 2022

NEW YORK JETS (3-2) at GREEN BAY (3-2)

DATE/TIME/TV: Sunday, 12:00 p.m. CDT, FOX

OPENING LINE: Packers by 7, according to FanDuel SportsBook.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Jets 3-2; Packers 2-3

SERIES RECORD: Jets lead 8-5

LAST MEETING: Packers beat Jets 44-38 in overtime on Dec. 23, 2018, at East Rutherford, New Jersey.

LAST WEEK: Jets beat Miami Dolphins 40-17 at home; Packers lost 27-22 to New York Giants in London.

JETS OFFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (24), PASS (9), SCORING (11)

PACKERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (9), RUSH (11), PASS (20), SCORING (22)

JETS DEFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (16), PASS (10), SCORING (T18)

PACKERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (5), RUSH (21), PASS (2), SCORING (11)

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Jets even; Packers minus-3

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur insists he doesn’t have any extra incentive as he gets ready to match up against a New York Jets staff featuring both his brother and his close friend.

LaFleur and Jets coach Robert Saleh worked together as graduate assistants at Central Michigan and later as assistants with the Houston Texans. Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is Matt’s younger brother.

“To tell you the truth, I really don’t think about it for two seconds,” LaFleur said. “I really don’t. It’s about trying to prepare our team. Everybody is just the next opponent.”

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn’t believe him.

“Look, he’s going against his brother and his best friend,” Rodgers said. “This game, for sure, means more to him.”

Green Bay (3-2) is seeking to bounce back after blowing a 14-point lead in a 27-22 loss to the New York Giants in London. The Packers haven’t lost consecutive regular-season games within the same season since LaFleur’s arrival in 2019.

The Jets (3-2) are aiming for their first 4-2 start since 2015.

Saleh and Matt LaFleur said they never discussed the possibility of reaching this type of stage when they roomed together at Central Michigan in 2004.

“I don’t know if either one of us when we were together at Central in that small little office ever dreamed that it would be like this, so we’re very blessed, very fortunate,” Saleh said.

Perhaps the LaFleurs and Saleh are downplaying the personal nature of this matchup because they’ve faced off before, with even higher stakes.

Matt LaFleur was in his debut season as Green Bay’s coach when the Packers lost the NFC championship game to the San Francisco 49ers, whose staff featured Saleh as defensive coordinator and Mike LaFleur as passing game coordinator. Mike LaFleur says this will mark the sixth time he and his brother have faced off as opposing coaches.

This matchup is causing a change in their routines. Matt LaFleur usually talks regularly with both his brother and Saleh.

“A lot of times, we’re not even talking about football,” Mike LaFleur said. “Usually on Mondays, he critiques my play calling — ‘You should’ve done this more’ — it’s all constructive criticism. He’s just trying to help and I appreciate that.”

Not this week, though.

“I’d say on a typical week, specifically with my brother, I probably talk to him almost every day, just quickly, just check in with him and see how he’s doing,” Matt LaFleur said. “But not talking quite as much this week.”

RODGERS VS. THE AFC

The Packers have won 18 of Rodgers’ last 19 home starts against AFC teams, including 11 in a row. The streak continued with a 27-24 overtime triumph over New England two weeks ago.

Rodgers missed Wednesday’s practice with an injured right thumb but was back at practice Thursday and expects to play Sunday.

UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY

The Jets are above .500 for the first time since winning their season opener at Detroit in 2018. New York is trying to end the NFL’s longest active postseason drought at 11 years.

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“I think confidence is contagious,” Saleh said. “I think our guys have deserved the right to feel good about themselves, but at the same time this league is very humbling, and it’ll take it away from you in a heartbeat.”

HOME AGAIN

The Packers are playing at Lambeau Field one week after playing a game overseas. Packers safety Adrian Amos was asked how the team was handling the turnaround.

“It’s just like asking me do I feel my body’s going to be right on a Thursday night game,” Amos said. “Like, not really. It’s what we’ve got to do. You’ve got to take it how it is. We got a game this week. Whether I say our body’s not going to be ready or not, just like Thursday night games, we’ve got to play them, so might as well get your mind right to play them.”

SPECIAL SAUCE

Jets rookie cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner is one of three players with at least one pass defensed in all five games this season, joining Philadelphia’s James Bradberry and San Francisco’s Charvarius Ward.

With one more on Sunday, the No. 4 overall pick would join Desmond Trufant (2013) as the only players since 2000 to deflect at least one pass in each of their first six NFL games.

COMEBACK KIDS

The Jets have shown an ability to rally on the road.

They erased a 13-point deficit in the final 82 seconds of a 31-30 victory at Cleveland. They won 24-20 at Pittsburgh after trailing 20-10 in the fourth quarter.

“I know obviously a lot of familiarity with the coaching staff there, guys that I’ve got a ton of respect for, that I know are going to do a great job of coaching their guys up,” Matt LaFleur said. “And when you do that and you get talent, you’ve got a chance to be pretty good. It doesn’t happen overnight, but I think you’ve seen the strides that they’ve made in a short period of time. It’s been pretty impressive.”

JETS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Breece Hall set a Jets rookie record for all-purpose yards, getting 100 on two receptions and 97 on 18 rushes last week against Miami. The second-round pick from Iowa State has quickly established himself as a key playmaker in the offense, complementing Michael Carter in the backfield to give the Jets a solid tandem.

PACKERS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Aaron Jones is averaging 6.4 yards per carry to rank third in the league and first among running backs. His 390 yards rushing rank him seventh in the NFL.

KEY MATCHUP: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers vs. Jets secondary: Rodgers is as good as anyone at avoiding interceptions. He hasn’t thrown double-digit interceptions in a single season since 2010 and has been picked off just 96 times in 7,286 regular-season pass attempts. The Jets have intercepted seven passes this season, one off the NFL lead. Lamarcus Joyner leads the way with two interceptions.

KEY INJURIES: Jets LB Quincy Williams returned to practice on a limited basis after being sidelined the past two weeks with a high ankle sprain… Rookie DE Jermaine Johnson (ankle) didn’t practice early in the week and coach Robert Saleh said he was day to day… Rodgers didn’t practice Wednesday because of an injured right thumb, but he expects to play Sunday… Packers WR Christian Watson left the Giants game with a hamstring injury and didn’t practice Wednesday… Packers WR Sammy Watkins will miss a fourth straight game with a hamstring injury.

SERIES NOTES: The Packers trail the series 8-5, but have won each of the past three meetings. Rodgers threw for 442 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores in the 44-38 overtime victory that gave the Packers their only road triumph of the 2018 season… The Packers also beat the Jets 9-0 at East Rutherford in 2010 and 31-24 in Green Bay in 2014.

STATS AND STUFF: The Jets are looking for their first 4-2 start since 2015, when they went 10-6 under Todd Bowles… At 3-2, they are over .500 for the first time since winning the season opener against Detroit in 2018… New York scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter last week in its win over Miami. The Jets have been strong in the final period this season, outscoring opponents 58-20. The 58 points lead the NFL and the 38-point margin in the fourth quarter is second only to Arizona’s 40… Hall joined New Orleans’ Alvin Kamara, Seattle’s Joey Galloway and Dallas’ Herschel Walker as the only NFL rookies since 1970 to have at least 100 yards receiving yards, 80 yards rushing yards and a TD run in the same game… According to Sportradar, OL Alijah Vera-Tucker is one of three players to start at four or more offensive line positions in his first 21 NFL games among players to debut since 2006. Vera-Tucker started at right tackle a week after starting at left tackle — after previously starting this season at right guard and playing left guard as a rookie. The only others to do it are Brady Christensen (Panthers) and Michael Ola (Bears/Chargers)… The Jets have 41 explosive plays — passes of 16-plus yards and rushes of 12-plus yards — to tie them for fifth in the NFL. It’s the most for the Jets through five games since 2000… QB Zach Wilson’s 5-yard TD run last week made him the first player this season to score at least one TD via pass, run and catch. He’s the only Jets QB to accomplish the feat and first Jets player to do so in the same season since RB Curtis Martin in 2000… The Jets were credited with 16 quarterback hits last Sunday, with Carl Lawson getting seven, the most in a game by a Jets player since 1970… The Packers are 18-1 in Rodgers’ past 19 starts against AFC teams at Lambeau Field… Rodgers has thrown at least two TD passes in each of his past four games… Packers OLB Rashan Gary has five sacks this season… The Packers have never lost consecutive regular-season games within the same season since Matt LaFleur took over as coach in 2019… The Jets have earned a first down on 15 of Corey Davis’ 17 catches. That’s the highest first-down percentage for any receiver. Green Bay’s Allen Lazard ranks second in that category, as 14 of his 16 receptions have produced first downs… LaFleur is the older brother of Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Matt LaFleur and Jets coach Robert Saleh worked together as assistants at Central Michigan (2004) and with the Houston Texans (2008-09).