It is Week 8 of the NFL season and the Green Bay Packers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game is on tap. This will be the fourth, and final, regular-season contest for the Packers against the AFC South. So far, they have defeated all of the three other teams from that division. Green Bay will certainly be looking for the southern sweep this week.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville is sitting with a 2-5 record, and hoping to turn their season around. One complication for them is traveling halfway around the globe. After matchups in England during Week 6 and Week 7, the Jaguars are returning home. So while the Packers will be flying from Green Bay this week, that is still much closer than where their opponents are coming from.
Key Players for the Packers
Jordan Love has now made four consecutive starts since an early-season knee injury. However, over those four contests, Love has thrown a combined seven interceptions.
Fortunatel, the Packers were able to overcome turnovers and go 3-1 during this stretch of games. That being said, Love cannot keep putting the defense in bad situations. Looking at last week’s matchup, the Texans struggled to move the football. These turnovers put Houston in a scoring position, and without them, the Texans were unable to drive downfield.
Defensively, the secondary has been Green Bay’s biggest strength. In last week’s Keys to the Game article, the safety position was covered. But we are turning this inside out for some cornerback talk.
Jaire Alexander is one of the best corners in the game today. He is a fast and physical player, who combines great coverage instincts with the ability to make plays on the ball. Alexander can typically shut down an opposing pass-catcher by not allowing any separation. The times that a receiver does get open against him, Alexander has excellent ball skills that he uses to break up catches and knock down passes. Since being drafted by the Packers, he has locked down his side of the field.
However, finding an adequate second cornerback has been a challenge. With a first-round investment made on Eric Stokes, it is ironic that Keisean Nixon almost fell in Green Bay’s lap.
Originally just a kick return specialist, Nixon has developed into a solid slot corner. But, that meant he was still only used in certain packages. Now, Nixon has become a well-rounded outside corner who stays on the field for most defensive snaps. He appears to be the long-term answer opposite Alexander.
Key Players for the Jaguars
As is the case with most NFL teams, a key element for the Jaguars is the connection between their quarterback, and their top wide receiver. For Jacksonville, that is the pairing of former first-overall pick Trevor Lawrence, with rookie first-rounder Brian Thomas Jr.
Their skill sets are complimentary. Lawrence has a strong arm and can make every throw in the playbook. Meanwhile, Thomas is a deep threat who can catch the football downfield. He could be the key to consistently unlocking the big-play potential for this offense.
It will be interesting to see how often the Packers deploy Jaire Alexander in coverage against Thomas Jr. Will the All-Pro corner shadow the rookie? If so, Lawrence may need to have a different target in mind on his first reads.
To be honest, part of the Jaguars’ game plan these past couple of seasons works very well against this Green Bay defense: target the tight end.
In the three games that Evan Engram has played in 2024, he has 19 targets. That is enough to place him second on the team in targets per game, behind only Thomas Jr. The Packers defense has been vulnerable against tight ends. Especially the chain moving possession-type tight ends like Engram. Look for Lawrence to look Engram’s way often in order to keep the offense on the field.
Speaking of Lawrence, he is not the only former first-overall pick in Jacksonville. Defensive end Travon Walker has shown promise over the past season-and-a-half. After double-digit sacks in 2023, Walker has already amassed six sacks so far this season.
Last week, the Green Bay offensive tackles had problems with a dominant pass-rush duo. Alongside Josh Hines-Allen, Walker can potentially produce against these Packers tackles.
Keys to Win the Game
Mistakes might make the entire difference in this game. Both quarterbacks are prone to throwing turnovers as Love and Lawrence both have career interception rates above 2%. This game might come down to which team wins the turnover battle.
Even though Love currently leads the NFL in interceptions (with two missed games to boot), the edge still has to go to the Packers. While Love might place the football in dangerous places at times, the Jaguars defense has been unable to take advantage. Jacksonville only has one interception so far this season. This could be a game where Love “gets away with it”.
Both teams have strong pass-catching corps. Therefore, the defensive backfield for each squad will need to be on point with their coverage assignments. Putting pressure on the quarterbacks will certainly help in that regard. Because if these signal callers can stand in a clean pocket, their talented receivers will inevitably get open.
Based on their records, Green Bay has to feel like the clear favorites, even on the road. So the key for them will be to take care of business and not overlook the Jaguars.
