The Green Bay Packers are traveling to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars on Sunday for Week 8 of the NFL season. The Packers are 3-0 against the AFC South this season.
The Packers lead the series 5-2 and a win will put them at 6-2 for the 16th time in team history. The first ever matchup was in Florida on September 24, 1995, on TNT Sunday Night Football. A Green Bay 24-14 win and a career long 40-yard Brett Favre run.
Here are three key matchups to look out for:
Jordan Love vs Trevor Lawrence
Packers quarterback Jordan Love is coming off a 24/33 for 220 yards passing with three touchdowns in a 24-22 win against the Texans despite throwing two interceptions. Love has become one of the NFL’s most prominent big-play passers, but the big plays can go either way. He will be universally accepted as a top 10 quarterback in the NFL by season’s end.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is coming off a 15/20 for 193 yards passing with one touchdown performance in a 32-16 win against the Patriots. Lawrence has 1,527 yards passing on nine touchdowns and three interceptions this season. In his last three games he is 66/89 for 799 yards passing with five touchdowns and two interceptions.
Jayden Reed vs Brian Thomas Jr.
Packers wideout Jayden Reed has done nothing but show he can make the big plays when needed and that he can win football games for this team. Hopefully, a game against a struggling Jacksonville secondary can right the ship with Reed and help get this offense firing on all cylinders.
But with the emergence of Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. as a potential WR1 for the Jaguars, his performance in London brought into the light the fact that he can make big plays and impact the offense in huge ways. Scheming him open is going to be huge in terms of maximizing his impact on the field.
Packers’ offense vs Jaguars ‘defense
The Packers have are ranked 3rd in explosive plays in the NFL. Green Bay don’t have a true WR 1, but they know how to spread the ball around to give everybody an opportunity to make something happen. The Packers offense is a real stressor for opposing defenses.
The Jacksonville Jaguars rank 31st against the pass and 30th in scoring defense. Their defense has been scorched by Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen, Joe Flacco, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and CJ Stroud. The Jaguars made moves on defense by getting linebacker Foye Oluokun and safety Andrew Wingard.
