86
SI’S 2019
PREDICTION
10 – 6
2018 RECORD 6-9-1
SEP T. 5
@ CHI
SEP T. 15
VS. MIN
SEP T. 22
VS. DEN
SEP T. 26
VS. PHI
OC T. 6
@ DAL
OC T. 14
VS. DET
OC T. 2 0
VS. OAK
OC T. 2 7
@ KC
NOV. 3
@ LAC
NOV. 10
VS. CAR
NOV. 17
BYE
NOV. 24
@ SF
DEC. 1
@ NYG
DEC. 8
VS. WAS
DEC. 15
VS. CHI
DEC. 23
@ MIN
DEC. 29
@ DET
masters the precision passing offense implemented by his new coach.× AFTER AN UP-AND-DOWN START,
GREEN BAY’S OFFENSE BECOMES ONE
OF THE LEAGUE’S MOST EXPLOSIVE.
Aaron Rodgers a c c l i m a t e s—w e l l
enough—to new coach Matt LaFleur’s
scheme. Under Mike McCarthy, Rodgers
was rarely asked to play
on schedule, which con-
tributed to the offense’s
inconsistency over the
last two years. But LaFleur
demands precision from
his future Hall of Famer.
Green Bay’s unbalanced
and condensed forma-
tions, presnap motions,
first-down play-actions and
intertwined route combi-
nations play to Rodgers’s
sharp football IQ while
regulating his reads and
timing. His lethal accuracy returns.
× DAVANTE ADAMS’S ROLE EVOLVES, BUT
HE REMAINS THE FOCUS OF THE PASS-
ING AT TACK. With receivers Geronimo
Allison, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and
Equanimeous St. Brown all 6' 3" or taller,
the deceptively shifty 6' 1" Adams must
play slightly out of position in the slot. No
problem. In LaFleur’s scheme, the slot re-ceiver attacks downfield as much as he does
underneath, which perfectly suits the sixth-
year pro. Adams had 1,386 yards in 2018;
he has a similar receiving total this year.
× COORDINATOR MIKE PETTINE’S
DEFENSE REMAINS BOOM-OR-BUST.
This is common when a scheme is built
on disguise, coverage diversity and oc-
casional blitzes by corners and safeties.
While opponents find it hard to antici-
pate what the Packers’ DBs will do, the
complexity leads to lapses in execution.
Still, Pettine’s approach works more often
than not, thanks largely to the sterling
young cover-corner duo of Kevin King
and Jaire Alexander, who
can be matched one-on-
one against big and quick
receivers, respectively.
× THE PACKERS GENERATE
MORE SACKS AND TURN-
OVERS. A top-notch run
defense creates more obvi-
ous passing situations in
which Pettine can deploy
his disguises and pressures.
He preaches destruction
more than discipline, with
defenders taught to de-
feat their blocker first and
worry about their run gap later. Green
Bay has the talent on the defensive line
to play this way. Kenny Clark, a 315-pound
mega- athlete, is an elite talent at tackle,
and first-round pick Rashan Gary, a hy-
brid edge player from Michigan, shows
promise. Unheralded players Dean Lowry,
Tyler Lancaster and Montravius Adams
provide excellent line depth.WHAT LIES AHEAD
St
re
ng
thQB
6
RB
28
WR/TE
14
OL
5
FRONT 7
23
DB
6
SIM
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