Get to Know Buffalo Bills Week 8 Opponent: Green Bay Packers
By Adam Hayward
Sitting at 5-1, the Buffalo Bills are at the top of the AFC. Their most recent game was a Week 6 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, in a highly anticipated matchup. Josh Allen threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, and the Bills accumulated 443 yards of total offense as they bested Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs 24-20.
Tight end Daxson Knox caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 1:04 remaining in the fourth and Taron Jackson iced the game by picking off Mahomes.
Now fully rested after coming off their bye week, the Buffalo Bills are set to face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. In the all-time series involving the two small market teams, the Bills lead the Packers 8-5. Their most recent match occurred in 2018 when Green Bay shut out Buffalo at home 22-0.
It’s been an awfully disappointing season so far for the Packers. Their 3-4 record is the worst record through seven games in the Aaron Rodgers era. As it stands right now, the Pack is 20th in the league in total offense, but 8th in defense. Green Bay’s secondary has given up the fewest total passing yards, with only 1,182 yards allowed through the air.
Can Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense keep up with the Buffalo Bills?
Green Bay’s offense just hasn’t been the same ever since Davante Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. Allen Lazard has been relied upon to be Rodgers’ new number-one option, and he has caught 26 passes for 340 yards and four touchdowns through seven games.
His projected 2022 total? 63 receptions, 826 yards, and ten touchdowns. But how are some of the other pass catchers on the Packers roster faring? Let’s take a look:
Randall Cobb: 18 receptions, 257 yards, and no touchdowns
Robert Tonyan: 30 receptions, 251 yards, and one touchdown
Romeo Doubs: 26 receptions, 234 yards, and two touchdowns
Aaron Jones: 26 receptions, 176 yards, and three touchdowns
Looking across the board, Rodgers isn’t getting much out of his receivers (and tight end). Granted running back Aaron Jones does help out in the passing game, but there were plenty of expectations for the Packers receivers to carry the load in the wake of Adams’ absence. And so far, they have struggled. It’s because of this that Green Bay has been trying to trade for a receiver for quite some time.
The trade deadline is but a week away, so the Packers have some time left to trade for a receiver if they feel it’s necessary. But for now, their focus will be on their primetime game against the Buffalo Bills.
Involving a quarterback duel between Rodgers and Allen, it’ll remain to be seen if there’ll be fireworks from both teams given Green Bay’s offensive struggles. However, Rodgers and his group have been competitive in most of their games this season, and their game versus the Buffalo Bills may perhaps not be any different.
