The Packers (3-0) are approaching the one-quarter mark of the season on Sunday, and if there’s one thing we have learned through the first three games it’s that Green Bay is still a dominating football team. An even scarier concept for other NFL teams is that Green Bay still has a plethora of areas for improvement despite their undefeated record. After squeezing by the Saints and Panthers to kickoff the season, the Packers enjoyed a double-digit victory, 27-17, over the Chicago Bears. The Packers offense has shown little sign of rust in the post-lockout era, as Aaron Rodgers has led them to an average of 33 points per contest. Conversely, their defense has struggled while allowing roughly 25 points and 415 total yards of offense per game (31st in the NFL behind New England). This has been the prevailing trend so far this year as defenses across the league have had their difficulties in large part due to a reduced offseason (After all, it probably will take awhile for Howard Green, Ryan Pickett, and players of the like to get back into football shape). Thus, it may be wise to curb your enthusiasm about Green Bay’s offensive dominance and not get too negative about their poor play on the opposite side of the ball.
When they return to Lambeau on Sunday, the Packers will battle the Denver Broncos (1-2). Denver will look to right ship after coming off of a loss at Tennessee (17-14) last week. All three of their games this year have been close affairs decided by three points or less (20-23 loss vs. the Raiders, 24-22 win vs. the Bengals). Since 2005, the Broncos have struggled mightily to put up points on offense or prevent them from scoring on defense. Aside from a lethal Kyle Orton to Brandon Lloyd (1448 yards, 11 TD’s in 2010) connection, the Broncos weren’t much to write home about last year. A largely ineffective run game (remember, this used to be a team that literally inserted any running back and was still assured a 1000+ yard season…Olandis Gary, Tatum Bell, Rueben Droughns!?) and a porous defense contributed to a 4-12 record last year and all indications point toward a comparable result this season. Similar to the Panthers game, this is a game the Packers should dominate; however, the beautiful thing about sports is that anything can happen. If you need any evidence of this please refer back to Wednesday night’s Wildcard race in baseball. Who knows, maybe if the stars align for the Broncos on Sunday, they could turn into a parallel of the Tampa Bay Rays. Along with assuring you that Evan Longoria will not be heaving passes for the Broncos, I’m recommending that you pay extra attention to the following key components of this week’s game.
Containing a Familiar Foe: This game marks a homecoming of sorts for Denver’s quarterback Kyle Orton (or as some Broncos fans may call him, “Not-Tim Tebow”) who played for the Bears from 2005-2008. In his career he’s played against the Packers in four games with surprisingly effective results. Believe it or not, he led the Bears to a 3-1 record against the Packers in his tenure. It should also be noted that he completed 49.4% of his passes and only threw 2 touchdowns compared to 3 interceptions. At that point in his career he was viewed as someone who couldn’t put up impressive numbers, but was a “winner” nonetheless (additionally, he was mildly popular due to not being Rex Grossman). Now, he is viewed as a quarterback who posts impressive numbers but is incapable of leading his team to victory. Orton has won just six games in his last 25 starts, a measly 24% winning percentage in that span. He did throw for 3,653 yards and 20 touchdowns in 13 starts last year for Denver, so he is still more than capable of lighting up a Green Bay secondary that’s been on their heels all season. Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, and Sam Shields will have their hands full trying to contain potent receiving threats in Brandon Lloyd and Eric Decker. Despite Lloyd’s struggles this season (10 receptions, 127 yards, 0 touchdowns), don’t be surprised if he breaks out of his slump in an immense way on Sunday.
Marshall Newhouse: Yes, a backup offensive lineman is going to be an imperative aspect of this game. Backup offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse likely won’t be a reserve this week as it appears starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga may miss this game with a lingering knee bruise. Newhouse, who initially made the 53-man roster last year until being placed on the IR, was a fifth-round draft selection last season out of TCU. He was thrown into the fire early against the Bears last week but played admirably against Julius Peppers, often without additional help. Even if Newhouse plays at a high level this week, the major concern is who would be pressed into duty if any of Green Bay’s offensive lineman go down. The only remaining healthy backups are Derek Sherrod who struggled mightily in the preseason and Evan Dietrich-Smith who was brought back last season after being cut. In an effort to shore up their offensive line depth, the Packers brought in former Packer Tony Moll (oh, the horror) for a workout this week (If I was Ted Thompson, I would have worked out the following three players instead of Moll: Seth Wand because he’s 6’8 and has an awesome name, Aaron Gibson since he’s a former Badger and weighs in excess of 370 pounds, and Daniel Loper due to this play. Make sure to keep an eye on Newhouse’s performance against the Broncos, especially when pass rushing specialists Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil are roaming around the right side.
Ground Attack…Or Lack Thereof – You should fully anticipate that both offenses will excel throwing the ball this weekend, but don’t bet on either side succeeding in the run game. Every week coach McCarthy states that he wants to commit more to the run, and nearly every week he instead commits to letting Aaron Rodger throw the ball as much as his heart desires (and his heart apparently desires a plethora of passes). On the opposite side of the spectrum, Denver’s head coach John Fox likes nothing more than to pound the ball early and often. He was able to do this efficiently in Carolina with his two-headed monster, but has failed to duplicate this success with the Broncos. Knowshon Moreno, who has been battling a persistent hamstring issue, is supposed to be Fox’s featured back but has struggled in limited duty with 8 carries for 22 yards. His counterpart Willis McGahee (yes, that Willis McGahee) hasn’t been impressive either with 54 carries for 156 yards (2.9 average, 12 yard long). Despite their early inefficiencies, the Broncos will try and establish a consistent ground attack early in order to open up the field for Orton and company. Their success in doing so may be the difference between a blowout and a close battle. Although Green Bay’s ground success may not be as crucial for success, there are still numerous reasons to pay extra attention to it. Ryan Grant will likely be sitting out with a bruised kidney, so James Starks will again be called upon to carry the load for the Packers. He showed extremely poor vision and explosiveness in last week’s affair with the Chicago, but I’d expect significantly less resistance against Denver’s defense. Grant’s anticipated absence will also pave the way for running back Alex Green to get his first action of the year. The rookie from Hawaii who’s returning from injury will likely be thrust into third-down duty and may open some eyes with his natural receiving skills.
The Packers should expect nothing less than a convincing win against the Broncos, but their struggling secondary must elevate their level of play. Even if this matchup may not be entirely appealing, there are still several intriguing aspects of the game. Kyle Orton will attempt to imitate his winnings ways against the Packers (perhaps he’ll also enjoy playing at Lambeau instead of getting irrationally booed by his home fans), Marshall Newhouse will aim to build upon his impressive debut, and Alex Green will be raring for his first action on the gridiron. If nothing else, enjoy this game as an exciting cap for what is expected to be a historic sports weekend in Wisconsin.