“Are you ready for some football?” Although you won’t be hearing that line anymore thanks to Hank William Jr.’s analogy, many fans are eagerly awaiting week six of the NFL season. For Packer fans, however, this week’s home matchup against the St. Louis Rams (0-4) doesn’t expect to be the most thrilling. The faint of heart may enjoy the duel between the undefeated Packers and the winless Rams which many anticipate to be a blowout of epic proportions. In fact, Green Bay currently sits as a fifteen point favorite on Sunday, the highest their spread has been prior to a game since 1998. In addition, the Packers have an abundance of confidence on their side after a 25-14 victory against Atlanta last week. For the first time all season, every facet of Green Bay’s game came together in the second-half (even the secondary) and they will work to build on that consistency this week. To make matters even more convincing (not really), the Packers signed Cecil Newton to their practice squad, the older brother of Cam Newton.
The Rams were being touted as a dangerous team on the rise after a 7-9 season last year and a narrow miss of the playoffs (the NFC West, everybody). However, quite the opposite phenomenon has occurred as they’ve dropped all four of their contests in convincing fashion prior to their bye week. Injuries to their star running back and secondary as well as underperformances (Sam Bradford’s sophomore slump) by key players have resulted in uninspiring results (outscored 113 to 46 by opponents this year). Nevertheless, the Rams have had two weeks to get fresh and prepare for the defending Super Bowl champions and could pose a surprising challenge. Here are three aspects of the game to follow on Sunday afternoon as the undefeated and winless square off.
A Healthy Steven Jackson
Priority number one for the Rams will be establishing an effective running game. In order to have any chance of sneaking away with a victory, St. Louis will have to pound the ball early and often up the middle. The currently healthy Steven Jackson (this can change on a minute-to-minute basis) will look to put the team on his back as he’s oft done throughout his career. Jackson has only accumulated 124 yards on the ground in his injury riddled year, but don’t be shocked if that total nearly doubles after Sunday’s game. In four games against the Packers in his career Jackson has averaged nearly 100 yards on 20 carries a game, and it would be reasonable to assume similar results this week. If Steven Jackson doesn’t have consistent success on the ground and the Rams are forced to throw the ball 40-50 times, it’s going to a long afternoon for Sam Bradford and company.
Return of Al Harris
Former Packers’ cornerback Al Harris, who played in Green Bay from 2003-2010, will be making a triumphant return to Lambeau on Sunday. You may remember Al Harris for his overtime interception off of Matt “We Want the Ball and We’re Going to Score” Hasselbeck in the 2004 playoffs. Perhaps you recall his predictable hands-to-the-face penalties, stunning dreadlocks, and shutdown bump-and-run coverage. There is no doubt that Al Harris was a spectacular player during his extensive tenure here, so much so that it earned (I use that term loosely) him a Super Bowl ring last season despite being on the Dolphins. That’s correct, the Packer sent Al Harris a ring after they cut him midseason prior to his activation from the Physically Unable to Perform list (keep in mind that Josh Bell, who was on the injured reserve for the entirety of last year, was not given a ring or invited to the ceremony). Clearly the Packers have tremendous respect for Al Harris and what he has done in his career, but they didn’t believe he had anything left in the tank last season. Well, they’re going to find out first-hand whether that’s true thanks to the Rams’ decimating injuries. The Rams will be without their top three cornerbacks on Sunday, leaving veterans Al Harris and Roderick Hood as the likely starters. As a result, I’d expect extremely little resistance from the Rams against Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay’s talented receiving threats.
Offensive Line Shuffle
Last week I mentioned that the likelihood of Chad Clifton staying healthy all year was slim, and I evidently jinxed it. Clifton went down early last week with what Mike McCarthy deemed a “significant hamstring injury”. The word “significant” in McCarthy’s vocabulary is generally synonymous with “season-ending”, but the Packers are still holding out hope that he’ll be able to return in several weeks. After Clifton was carted off, Marshall Newhouse (filling in for the injured Bryan Bulaga) slid over from right tackle to his natural position of left tackle and first-round rookie Derek Sherrod took over duties on the right side. Although the combination gave up a few early pressures and sacks they were able to solidify their performances in the second half allowing Aaron Rodgers to light up Atlanta’s secondary. Fortunately for the Packers, Bryan Bulaga may be back from his knee injury to help stabilize the offensive line during Clifton’s absence. If the offensive line struggles to protect Aaron Rodgers, it could keep the score significantly closer than anticipated and instill hope in the Rams.
The Rams are going to need a “bend but not break” mentality on Sunday to overcome the Packers. In order to snatch away a win, St. Louis will have to pound the rock effectively, create turnovers, and pressure Aaron Rodgers. If they fail to accomplish those tasks, the Packers may cover the spread with ease, handing the Rams a fifth straight demoralizing defeat. Interestingly enough, Wisconsin and Missouri will also be dueling in playoff baseball on Sunday. Regardless of the results, it’s setting up to be another action packed sports weekend in Wisconsin.