Patriots vs. Packers Prediction preview

Any time two of the greatest players in NFL history square off in a primetime game, it's something that demands attention. That's exactly what's happening this Sunday night as and the host and the on Sunday Night Football.Brady and Rodgers won't actually be on the field at the same time, of course, but watching them each try to solve the opponent's defense on the same field on the same night should be a treat. We only get to see this happen once every four years, after all. (Which is a shame, by the way.) More on the NFL The fortunes of the Graeme Clarke Men Jersey two quarterbacks' teams seem to be headed in different directions this season, as the Patriots have once again rea serted their dominance in the AFC East after a slow start, while the Packers have been up and down all year and have stumbled with lo ses in two of their past three games. There have been rumors of discord between Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy, and the Packers just traded away a contributor on each side of the ball. Meanwhile, Bill Belichick and company have barely been at full strength all year and just keep winning.What will happen Sunday night (8:20 p.m., NBC, )? We're glad you asked. When the Patriots have the ballGreen Bay's defense is an interesting study. The Packers thus far rank strongly in yards allowed per game (12th), but check in about average in points allowed per game (17th) and solidly below-average in efficiency (20th in Football Outsiders' DVOA). Considering the Packers just traded one of the NFL's best safeties ( ), it would be reasonable to expect them to drop off in certain areas over the rest of the season. That drop-off may very well begin on Sunday night, as the Patriots happen to be well-equipped to attack the Packers where they are most vulnerable.For years Tom Brady's No. 1 pa sing game option, volume-wise, has been slot receiver . Edelman sat out all Stefan Noesen Jersey of last season with a torn ACL but during the four prior campaigns he averaged at least 6 catches and at least 66 receiving yards per game. Though suspended for the first four weeks of this season due to a violation of the league's performance-enhancing drug policy, Edelman has picked up right where he left off, averaging 6.3 catches for 62.8 yards per game during his first four contests while once again operating primarily out of the slot. And wouldn't you know it, the slot is one of the weakest areas of the Packers' defense. On the year, according to Sports Info Solutions, players lined up in the slot have caught 66 pa ses for 951 yards and nine touchdowns against the Packers. They've allowed a 113.9 pa ser rating on throws to slot wideouts, per SIS, which ranks 24th in the NFL. Green Bay's overall pa s defense is most vulnerable over the middle of the field, between the numbers. It has allowed 76 completions on 116 attempts, for 963 yards, 10 touchdowns, and two interceptions on throws over the middle, per SIS. That works out to a 112.8 pa ser rating against -- second-worst in the NFL ahead of only the . The Pats love their quick-breaking routes from Edelman and running back that isolate linebackers, safeties, and slot corners in space, and when Brady can fire quick and low over the middle where nobody can catch it except for his short, quick pa s-catchers, it is almost impo sible to defend. The Packers have been strong in the pa sing game against running backs and tight ends this season, but again, they just traded Clinton-Dix, who played a big role in that. It's reasonable to expect that the Pats will have more succe s throwing to James White and than previous opponents did throwing to their backs and tight ends.Where things could get interesting on Sunday is in the running game and in the perimeter pa sing game matchups.The Patriots had been running the ball extremely well for a while, but injury put a crimp in their style and they had almost no succe s on the ground against the last week. With only White and at running back, the Pats actually turned to for the majority of their carries against Buffalo, and that strategy was not exactly succe sful. The Pavel Zacha Jersey Packers don't nece sarily have a dreadful run defense, but they have been somewhat vulnerable on the ground, allowing 4.4 yards per carry. They've also allowed a ton of rushing yards in their past two games, allowing the 49ers and to gain 309 yards combined. If the Pats do not have Michel, however, it's difficult to see them finding much succe s with the run. (Michel has been practicing on a limited basis throughout this week and is expected to be listed as questionable.) They view White more as an extension of the run game with his ability to snag short pa ses and make hay after the catch, but they rarely hand him the ball. They clearly don't Marcus Johansson Men Jersey trust Barner, who received just two carries last week despite being one of only two active running backs. And Patterson is not a running back. They need Michel in order to acce s that aspect of their offense.On the perimeter, the Packers may have found a real star in cornerback , for whom they traded up after initially trading down in the first round of the 2018 draft. A stud at with great athleticism (eighth among all 2018 corners in SPARQ, with an athleticism grade in the 92nd percentile), Alexander has emerged as a potential shutdown option, and is coming off arguably his best game of the season. Alexander has limited quarterbacks to a 72.3 pa ser rating on throws in his direction and kept up with the extremely hard to cover and last week. It's po sible he travels with this week, hoping to stop New England's premier outside receiver from making an impact on the game.When the Packers have the ballLast week, it appeared the Packers finally discovered that is the best running back on their team. After trading following his disastrous fumble that cost them a chance to mount a game-winning drive, Jones and are now the only game left in town for the Green Bay backfield. The coaching staff still clearly trusts Williams more as a pa s-blocker and perhaps pa s-catcher, but would be wise this week to lean on Jones against a New England defense that is extremely fundamentally sound and rarely mi ses tackles. The Pats have had only 17 tackles broken on rush attempts this season, per SIS, giving them the lowest broken-tackle rate in football. Jones, meanwhile, has forced 14 mi sed tackles on only 44 rush attempts, while Williams has forced only seven on 63 attempts. Being able to get the run game going and avoid poor down-and-distance situations for Rodgers is important against Jimmy Hayes Kids Jersey a defense that has been vulnerable on third downs. The Pats have allowed opponents to convert 43 percent of their third-down opportunities, 26th in the NFL. The Pats have forced more third-and-long situations than almost any team in the NFL, however, and have allowed conversions on only 28 percent of third downs with six or more yards to go (68 of the 105 third down plays against New England have needed six or more yards for a first.) Conversely, o