Playing sound pass defense will be at the top of the to-do list for the New England Patriots when they face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in Foxborough, Mass.
Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love is averaging 280.8 passing yards per game, has thrown 16 touchdowns passes and been intercepted six times. Love leads the NFL with 2,246 passing yards and is also No. 1 among quarterbacks in pass attempts of at least 20 yards (52).
Love’s top receivers are Christian Watson (42 receptions for 708 yards and six touchdowns) and Matthew Golden (43 receptions for 619 yards and four scores), both of whom have proven to be deep-ball threats.
“Nobody’s had more 20-yard pass plays,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “A quarterback that’s wildly efficient. He has a few off days, but they’re few and far between. They throw shots. They’ve obviously (got) great speed on the edges. They have an excellent tight end, Tucker Kraft, and now getting (Josh) Jacobs back, it seems like they’re trying to work him back in there a little bit more and see what he can do for them in the red zone and things like that.”
Green Bay (5-3) has been idle since its 27-19 home win over the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29. Watson had to leave that game in an ambulance because of a broken rib, but he returned in uniform and re-entered the game. He had eight receptions for 113 yards in the victory.
The Patriots (5-3) enter the matchup with the NFL’s 13th-ranked pass defense (217.3 yards per game allowed) and 22 sacks, tied for sixth-most in the league. Gabe Jacas and Elijah Ponder have been good at making opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable this season. Ponder has a team-high six sacks, and Jacas has three.
“I think (the New England defense) is a salty bunch,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said. “They do a great job of being able to take the ball away, they’re always punching at the ball. All their guys, their back end, their linebackers, have great ball skills, and I think they’re very good up front in terms of how they rush the passer. You can see their physicality on tape.”
Green Bay has been forced to throw because of its lackluster running game. The Packers are averaging 2.9 yards per carry, which ranks last in the league. Green Bay could become the first NFL team to finish a season with a rushing average of less than 3.0 yards per carry since the 1994 Patriots.
New England quarterback Drake Maye has passed for 15 touchdowns and has been intercepted eight times, but has 14 TD passes and two interceptions in his last five games. He’ll be facing a Green Bay defense that has forced 15 turnovers, which ranks second in the NFL. Ten of those turnovers have been interceptions.
“Defensively, very physical,” Vrabel said. “They have created the second-most negative plays in the league. Seventeen percent of their drives end in a turnover, so that leads the league as well.”
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson leads the Patriots with 119 touches (no other player has more than 57). Stevenson has a team-high 367 rushing yards, and his 23 catches rank third among the team’s receivers.
New England defensive tackle Christian Barmore and running back TreVeyon Henderson each missed Wednesday’s practice because of an illness. Wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle/knee) and tight end Hunter Henry (foot) also did not practice.
Green Bay also had four players who did not practice Wednesday: linebacker Zaire Franklin (shin), guard/tackle Travis Glover (knee), center/guard Sean Rhyan (ankle) and tight end Josh Whyle (concussion).