Green Bay vs. Jacksonville (GB -4.5, 49.5)
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Green Bay vs. Jacksonville | Sunday, October 27, 2024
The Green Bay Packers find themselves in third place in the NFC North, despite a 5-2 record. That pays tribute to just how competitive their division is right now, and how crucial each win is going to be for the teams that want to be in the hunt for the title at the end of the regular season.
The Packers have now won three straight since their closely contested loss to the Minnesota Vikings, beating the Rams, Cardinals and Texans to reach their current record. The win over C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans really put Green Bay on the map, as a team that can go out and stifle a playoff caliber football team when they need to.
Jordan Love threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns, while also throwing two picks, and Josh Jacobs managed 76 rushing yards on just 12 carries. But nothing was more impressive than the Packers defense, holding Stroud to 10 completions and 86 passing yards in the entire game.
Now the caveat to that was the obvious absence of Nico Collins as the Texans WR1, and the fact that the Packers did allow Joe Mixon to rack up 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns. But in the secondary Green Bay are putting it together, and they’ve been taking the ball away this year too.
The Green Bay defense is the number one team in football in taking the ball away with 2.4 turnovers per game. Free agent acquisition Xavier Mckinney had five interceptions in the first five games he wore a Packers uniform, and the defense has nine interceptions and six forced fumbles as a unit.
The Packers have the sixth best turnover margin as a team, and with the defense doing such a great job in giving the offense extra possessions, Jordan Love has been more aggressive in his approach too.
Green Bay are 7th in points per game (26.6), 6th in yards per game (382.4), and 6th in yards per play (6.1). They’ve averaged three touchdowns a game, and all of that while having complex struggles with the likes of Dontayvion Wicks and Romeo Doubs along the way.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have faced a turbulent season on the opposite end of the spectrum, trying to get off the bottom of the leagues ranking rather than battle to be at the top. A win in their final game in London will boost morale, now returning to Jacksonville at 2-5.
Rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has been the star, and one of the most explosive rookie receivers the league has seen in a very long time. Against the Patriots, BTJ became the first receiver since Randy Moss to amass over 500 receiving yards on 30 or less receptions. That’s elite company, and he’s very quickly emerging as WR1 for the Jags.
In the run game Tank Bigsby has managed a similar breakout, now looking like the team's best back over Travis Etienne. Jacksonville are 4th in yards per rush (5.1), largely thanks to Bigsby’s efforts. He posted 118 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Patriots, marking his second 100+ yard game in three outings.
The Jags continue to provide pressure with their pass rushers, but the defensive unit collectively has been a nightmare this season. With key injuries across the board, and the absence of several playmakers in what was already a weak looking secondary, they’ve fallen miserably short as a unit.
Jacksonville are allowing 27.7 points per game (30th), 376.4 yards per game (27th), 6.0 yards per play (29th), and a 45.05% third down conversion rate (26th). They’re dead last in forced interceptions, and rank in the bottom five in every category as a passing defense. Cornerback Tyson Campbell did return for the first time since Week 1 against the Patriots, a welcome and much needed addition to the unit.
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