NFL Game of the Week: Packers vs. Bills
When the schedule came out a few months ago, the Sunday night showdown between the Green Bay Packers and the Buffalo Bills was circled on calendars as one of the biggest games of the year.
Due to recent struggles from the Packers, this game has lost a bit of its intrigue. Make no mistake about it though, this is still a duel between two of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks.
Coming off of two straight MVP awards, Aaron Rodgers has struggled a bit to this point for a couple of reasons, probably the biggest factor being the departure of star wide receiver Davante Adams to Las Vegas in a blockbuster trade. After beginning the season 3-1, the Packers have lost three straight teams with quarterbacks who are middle of the road at best.
The Packers are trying to catch up to the Vikings, who are 5-1 and atop of the NFC North. With four of their next five games coming against teams that are 4-2 or better, they must start turning things around soon or it could get ugly between Rodgers and Head Coach Matt LaFleur.
On the flip side, the Bills are rolling. They’re coming off of a bye week after a huge win against the Kansas City Chiefs that propelled them to first place in the AFC standings.
The last two MVP awards may belong to Rodgers, but Josh Allen is coming for the honor this year in a big way. Allen is the clear betting favorite to win the MVP through seven weeks of the season.
Allen currently has 1,980 passing yards and 17 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Allen is ranked second in passing touchdowns despite having a bye week early in the season and he is also on pace to throw for the most yards ever by a quarterback in a single season.
While he may not be Lamar Jackson, his mobility has a huge impact on the game. He is on pace to rush for over 700 yards and six touchdowns, a mind-boggling stat for someone who is also on pace to beat Peyton Manning’s passing record.
The Bills aren’t all about offense though, as their defense is also the best in the league yardage-wise, only surrendering 281.5 yards a game. The Bills have a massive home-field advantage, not to mention the fact that they are coming off of a bye week.
Rodgers has yet to throw over 255 yards in a game, an uncharacteristic stat for a quarterback coming off of back-to-back MVP awards. It won’t get any easier for Rodgers this week against a stout Buffalo secondary that features the likes of Jordan Poyer and Tre’Davious White who is hopeful to play this week after sustaining an injury earlier in the season.
For the Packers to win this game, Rodgers will have to pull off one of his classic performances and do things that only he can do. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon will have to play a huge part in this game on the ground as well, as Jones had two touchdowns a week ago and will need to continue his momentum into Buffalo on Sunday night.
The Packers will have a tough time slowing down Allen and the offense, but if Jaire Alexander can neutralize Stefon Diggs that will go a long way in allowing their pass rushers to pin their ears back.
For the Bills, they just need to execute their game plan and allow Allen to do his thing and don’t let Rodgers beat you deep. The Bills should be victorious in this contest, but you can never count out Rodgers in a big game.
For the Bills, winning this game and improving to 6-1 will mean they can maintain their narrow lead in the AFC East and stay the No. 1 seed in the AFC for the time being.
For the Packers, losing this game and dropping to 3-5 would be an absolute disaster for this team that had Super Bowl aspirations. This may very well be Rodgers’ last year in the NFL and they can’t let it go to waste.
Jameson Kramer is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jek5650@psu.edu.
