Coming off of a comfortable win against the aging, declining talent of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Green Bay Packers head into Paul Brown stadium in Week 5 to take on the young, ascending Cincinnati Bengals. Green Bay's win over Pittsburgh saw Aaron Rodgers play a standard, mistake-free game, as he hit on 20 of 36 passes for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns, both to longtime A-Rod pass catcher Randall Cobb. Rodgers also rushed for a touchdown as the Packers improved to 3-1 on the season, alone atop the NFC North.
Meanwhile, the Bengals, at 3-1, finally seem to have everything falling into place with their uber-talented core of skill position talent. They won a nailbiter in a comeback against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, but a win is a win. The Pack will be their biggest challenge yet, as this is the first game in which the Bengals will face a team with a winning record.
Will Green Bay's consistency and star power reign supreme? Or will the up and coming Bengals shock the world with an upset? Here are 4 bold predictions for this Sunday matinee.
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Packers Week 5 Predictions
4. Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon combine for 150 scrimmage yards
Week 4 was quiet for all Packers backs, but that could easily change against Cincy. The Bengals just allowed Joe Mixon and Trevor Lawrence to combine for 114 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, even as Mixon got hurt late in the contest. Jones and Dillon are one of the most formidable backfield duos in the NFL, and should be able to feast on a mediocre Bengals run defense. Green Bay will get out to a big lead, and it will be all ground game from there.
3. Rashan Gary notches multiple sacks
Gary has one of the most disruptive pass rushers thus far, but the sack numbers haven't quite gotten there yet. He seems bound for some positive regression, though, as the underlying numbers are indicative of more eye-popping numbers in weeks to come:
Packers OLB Rashan Gary is one of only seven edge rushers in the NFL with at least 15 pressures and 6 QB hits this season.
His pass-rush win percentage at @PFF ranks 9th among qualifying edge rushers
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) October 4, 2021
He has the looks of a late-blooming dominant force on the edge, and that will show up in this pivotal match between two 3-1 squads.
2. Randall Cobb feasts again
It was heartwarming to see Cobb and Rodgers find their connection again this past Sunday – very reminiscent of the mid-2010's when Cobb and Jordy Nelson were terrorizing opposing secondaries. It could easily happen again in Cincinnati, too, as slot gadget receiver Laviska Shenault just feasted for 6 catches and 99 yards this past week, and Cobb very much fits that mold of a player. If similar opportunities arise, don't be surprised if Cobb explodes yet again.
1. Packers dominate a shootout
Though these teams have the same record, they took awfully different paths to get here. The Packers took down a fierce 49ers squad and handily beat up on the Lions and Steelers, while the Bengals have just eked out two of their wins against poor to mediocre teams. While Green Bay's injuries could sway the tide in Cincy's favor, Aaron Rodgers and Co. are most likely too talented for the Bengals to overcome.
PREDICTION: Packers 38, Bengals 27
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