The New York Jets are coming into town hotter than they’ve been in years. They are 3-2, coming off an emphatic victory against the Tua Tagovailoa-less Miami Dolphins, 40-17.
Conversely, the Green Bay Packers come into this home matchup against the Jets cold as ice. Last week’s loss to the New York Giants in London confirmed most, if not all, fears and insecurities that currently plague Packers fans. Maybe most concerning, different team leaders seem to be saying different things.
Is this pessimism unfounded? It depends on who you ask. When Matt Schneidman of The Athletic asked Jaire Alexander about the defense and its well-documented struggles, Alexander said after the last game that he “ain’t worried, but if we lose next week, then I’ll be worried.” Aaron Rodgers dismissed this, claiming that it doesn’t “manifest good vibes” or whatever he’s on these days.
The thing is, Alexander is absolutely right. Panic alarms should be sounding just about everywhere in Green Bay. The offense has looked like a shell of its former self and hasn’t been able to keep the pressure on when the team’s been ahead. Defensive play calling has been a mess, as Joe Barry has not been putting his talented personnel in positions to succeed while making cowardly adjustments against the run. The old Amari Rodgers reared his head last week, casting a shadow of doubt over a special teams unit that otherwise looks much improved under Rich Bisaccia. Overall, it has been a messy 3-2 start.
According to Pro Football Reference, New York comes into this game with the 11th-ranked offense and 18th-ranked defense. Conversely, Green Bay boasts the 22nd-ranked offense and the 11th-overall defense. Zach Wilson‘s return and subsequent win last week carry incredible momentum for the Jets, who are a young and hungry team looking to build upon this early-season success.
On the other hand, the Packers are on the opposite side of that spectrum. This is a team with perennial Super Bowl aspirations, something the Jets haven’t sniffed since Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan were at the helm. Far too often, Green Bay strolls into games like these expecting to win because these teams are supposedly beneath them. They fell victim to the Giants last week with that mindset, and they are at risk of doing the exact same thing this week if they do not take the Jets seriously.
This hubris could be a Reagan-esque trickle-down effect from the face of the organization. Rodgers has been a shining beacon of confidence for the last few seasons. He’s done plenty of boasting on talk shows and podcasts alike. The guy expects to win every time he takes the field. Statistically, this would be a safe bet. However, that has not been the case this season.
The thing is, this team cannot afford to take the field expecting to win. That’s the problem. Green Bay needs to adjust what they’re doing and play with some urgency for the first time all season. Rodgers can’t continue to (allegedly) audible out of plays and huck up deep balls to his buddies in Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard. More trust needs to be placed in A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones. The latter is averaging a ridiculous Jamaal Charles-facsimile 6.4 yards per carry. Joe Barry needs to get with the program and trust the work and physical gifts of his defense and stop playing the prevent. The list goes on.
Ultimately, if the Packers lose this one, they drop to 3-3, and a division title looks bleak. This team is far too talented and has too much pedigree to accept a wild card playoff berth, much less to stomach the notion that it is in danger of losing out on that altogether. Green Bay needs to win on Sunday and win big. It’s not too early in the season to be sounding the alarm. The Packers need to show that it’s capable now before it’s too late.
