The Green Bay Packers have had a somewhat uneven start to their season. They sport a solid 2-1 record, but they haven't been dominating their opponents like we have been accustomed to seeing them do during the Aaron Rodgers era. That could change in Week 4 against the New England Patriots, though, so we decided to lay out our Packers Week 4 bold predictions.
The Patriots are in a tough spot right now. They haven't looked great to start the season, and will almost certainly be without their starting quarterback Mac Jones after he suffered a high ankle sprain late in their Week 3 loss against the Baltimore Ravens. If Jones ends up being unable to play, which is widely expected to be the case right now, then veteran backup Brian Hoyer would fill in for him under center.
Green Bay was going to be favored either way, but playing against Hoyer will make things far easier for the Packers in this one. The Patriots can never be taken lightly, though, and it will be interesting to see what New England's head coach Bill Belichick has up his sleeve when it comes to slowing down Rodgers and the Packers offense. With that in mind, let's dive into our predictions.
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3. Packers FS Darnell Savage Jr. will have two interceptions
The Packers strong suit this year has been their defense. They struggled in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, but they dominated as expected in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears, and kept Tom Brady and company in Week 3 when they took down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Against Brian Hoyer and a fairly limited Patriots offense, the Packers defense should feast.
Green Bay could be without their top cornerback Jaire Alexander after he suffered a groin injury against the Bucs, though head coach Matt LaFleur expressed optimism about Alexander's injury status on Wednesday. If he can't go, Green Bay's safety duo of Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage Jr. will have to take on more responsibility in this one. New England doesn't necessarily have a top wide receiver, although it is worth noting DeVante Parker torched the Ravens last week for 156 yards on five catches.
To combat Alexander's potential absence, the Packers will utilize more zone coverages, which allows Amos and Savage to wreak havoc in the secondary. Savage will have a big day, as he will pick off Hoyer twice in this one, and help keep the Patriots passing attack quiet. New England won't be totally blanked when it comes to moving the football, but Savage will ensure that they will have a hard time putting points on the board with two crucial takeaways.
2. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers won't throw for a touchdown
A big reason for Green Bay's strange start to the season has been Rodgers' inability to get on the same page as his receiver corps. Losing Davante Adams was obviously going to hurt the offense, but Rodgers hasn't really been able to get anything going on a consistent basis without Adams around.
Green Bay will be expected to torch the Patriots secondary, but New England's secondary has actually played fairly well to open the season. They kept a potent Miami Dolphins offense quiet in Week 1 and shut down Mitch Trubisky and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. If their offense didn't turn the ball over four times, they probably wouldn't have allowed 36 points to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3.
The Packers offense isn't what it once was, and Belichick knows this. The Patriots will take a risk and deploy more man coverages after having some success with the same strategy in Week 3. Overall, Rodgers won't get into any sort of rhythm, and he will be held without a passing touchdown for the second time this season.
1. The Packers will squeak out a 17-13 victory over the Patriots
You can never count out the Patriots as long as Belichick is at the helm, even with everything going against them. New England isn't going to roll over and die just because Jones will likely be watching from the sidelines; they are going to devise a plan to win this game, and if they can play it on their terms, they will have a shot to pull off an upset over the Packers.
Green Bay will have to rely heavily on their rushing attack to win this game with Rodgers' receivers doing little to help him in this one. Both Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon will pick up scores on the ground, with Jones having a far more effective performance than Dillon.
The defense will do a good job forcing Hoyer into mistakes, but their ground game has success behind Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson, and Hoyer will connect with Hunter Henry on a five-yard score midway through the fourth to give New England a surprising 13-10 lead. But Rodgers will calmly lead Green Bay down the field and respond, with Dillon capping off the drive, and Savage will secure his second interception of the day on the ensuing drive to ensure the Packers escape this one with a win.
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