The Green Bay Packers will take the field at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, trying to do everything they can to avoid disaster. After yet another humiliating loss last week, Green Bay’s losing streak has now reached six games, dating back to last season. That stretch is the longest we have seen in 35 years for a Packers team, and the way they have lost has been hard to watch.
The Jets are coming off a dominant win over Tennessee and are set for their home opener this weekend. The fans will be fired up, and Aaron Glenn will be eager to attack Green Bay’s struggling offensive line. All offseason, we have talked about how this Packers team lacked that killer instinct and thought they could win games on talent alone; now that is not the case, and if they want to leave East Rutherford with a win on Sunday, they cannot take this Jets team lightly.
Can the Packers O-Line Protect Jordan Love?
The Vikings sent the house at the Packers in Week 1, blitzing on 80% of the snaps and showing plenty of Cover Zero looks. The common belief is that the Packers handled that for most of the game, but in reality they didn’t. The only reason it looked that way was Jordan Love’s talent and his ability to maneuver in and around the pocket and make incredible throws to pick up big plays.
As the season moves forward, we can expect Zach Bako-Bewele to show more signs of becoming the player he was before the injury. Then comes the interior line’s biggest question: Who will start at left and right guard? Aaron Banks missed last week, and they hope to have him back this week if he keeps trending in the right direction, but if he cannot go, the move now would be to start Jager Burton over last week’s starter, Donovan Jennings.
Jacob Monk didn’t have the best start to his season at right guard last week either, but look for him to try and bounce back this week, as Anthony Belton (even though they did everything they could to move him away from the RG position in camp) may be waiting in the wings if he struggles again.
The Jets may not blitz 80% of the time on Sunday, but after last week’s late-game disaster, expect Glenn to dial up plenty of pressure to test this group.
Can Trey Smack Keep Up His Hot Start?
Trey Smack has given the Packers plenty of reasons to feel confident in their rookie kicker. He has shown off the strong leg that made him the only kicker selected in this year’s draft, and he connected on his first regular-season field-goal attempt last week. Now, he faces a much different challenge in his first game at MetLife Stadium.
Kicking in East Rutherford is never easy, especially when the wind starts swirling inside the stadium. The Packers saw that firsthand last season when Lucas Havrisik missed two of his three extra-point attempts against the Giants. Neither team even attempted a field goal that afternoon as wind gusts reached nearly 40 miles per hour and made every kick an adventure.
The conditions may not be that extreme on Sunday, but MetLife can still be unpredictable. Smack has the leg strength to cut through the wind, but this game will test his ability to adjust and remain composed if the conditions change from one end of the field to the other.
Green Bay cannot afford to leave points on the field in a game it desperately needs to win. Smack has handled everything thrown at him so far, but kicking at MetLife could be his toughest test yet. If he can continue his hot start and deliver when the Packers need him, it would take some pressure off an offense that has already struggled to finish games.
Can the Packers Get the Running Game Going?
With Josh Jacobs still unavailable, the Packers entered the season knowing they would need someone else to step up in the backfield. That did not happen against Minnesota. Green Bay finished with only 66 rushing yards, leaving Jordan Love to carry too much of the offense against a defense that brought pressure from every direction.
MarShawn Lloyd has the explosiveness to change a game, but the Packers need more than flashes. They need to keep him involved, allow him to find a rhythm and trust him with carries between the tackles. Chris Brooks and the rest of the backfield may also need to contribute, especially if Green Bay wants to avoid putting Love in obvious passing situations all afternoon.
That will not be easy against a Jets defense that held Tennessee to just 68 rushing yards last week. Still, Matt LaFleur cannot abandon the running game the moment it struggles. Doing so would let Glenn turn up the pressure and attack an offensive line that already has plenty of questions.
Green Bay does not need one running back to completely replace Jacobs, but it does need the backfield to become a real part of the offense again. Establishing the run would slow down the Jets’ pass rush, create opportunities off play-action, and help the Packers control a game they cannot afford to let become chaotic. If they become one-dimensional again, Love could be forced to spend the afternoon trying to rescue the offense by himself.
Who Steps Up if Hargrave and Van Ness Cannot Play?
The Packers could also be without Javon Hargrave and Lukas Van Ness after both entered concussion protocol this week. With Micah Parsons already unavailable, losing two more starters would leave Green Bay dangerously thin across its defensive front.
If Hargrave cannot play, Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks will have to take on larger roles inside. Wyatt can provide some of the interior pressure Hargrave was brought in to create, while Brooks has shown the ability to move around the line and make plays when given the opportunity. Jonathan Ford could also see more snaps, especially on early downs when the Packers need to slow down Breece Hall and the Jets’ running game.
Replacing Van Ness may require more of a rotation. Brenton Cox Jr., Barryn Sorrell and Dani Dennis-Sutton could all be asked to contribute off the edge. Green Bay may also have to manufacture pressure with linebackers and defensive backs instead of expecting the front four to consistently get home.
The Packers cannot use injuries as an excuse, especially after allowing Minnesota to score 29 unanswered points last week. If Hargrave and Van Ness are unavailable, the younger players behind them must show that this defense has enough depth to survive without several of its biggest names.
Start Fast, Keep the Pressure On and Finish the Job
The Packers have shown that they can start games fast. They did it again last week, building a 19-10 halftime lead and eventually taking a 22-10 lead late in the third quarter. The problem is that none of it mattered once the game began to turn. Green Bay took its foot off the gas, lost control, and allowed Minnesota to score the final 29 points.
That cannot happen again.
Green Bay needs to come out aggressively on Sunday, take control of the game, and continue attacking even if it builds an early lead. This team has spent too much time playing not to lose instead of doing what got it the lead in the first place. Whether that means staying aggressive through the air, continuing to bring pressure, or trusting the offense on fourth down, the Packers can’t get conservative and let the Jets hang around.
After six straight losses, simply playing well for two or three quarters is no longer enough. The Packers need to show that they can respond when an opponent punches back, take control of the biggest moments, and finish a game without falling apart.
Sunday is not just about getting the first win of the season. It is about showing us something different. Come out fast, keep the foot on the gas, and finish the job. Until the Packers prove they can do that, every lead will feel temporary.
