The Green Bay Packers kick off the 2011 NFL Season against the New Orleans Saints in a nationally televised game at Lambeau Field on Thursday night. The highly anticipated matchup between the last two Super Bowl champions will feature two of the league’s elite quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.
Both Rodgers and Brees were named the Super Bowl MVP, after winning their respective Super Bowls, and each will lead a high-powered offensive attack in what could be a high scoring game.
The Green Bay Packers can secure a victory against the New Orleans Saints, if they address five key issues that troubled them last year and in this preseason.
1. O-Line needs to pick up the blitz
The Packers’ offensive line struggled this preseason by allowing six sacks, according to PackersNews.com. After losing guards Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz in free agency, the Packers do not have the same level of veteran experience. They also do not have a lot of depth on the line with only eight linemen on their 53-man roster.
The Saints revamped their pass rush this offseason by signing free agent defensive linemen Shaun Rogers, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, Turk McBride and Aubrayo Franklin, and used one of their first round draft picks on Cal defensive end Cameron Jordan.
Picking up the blitz will allow Aaron Rodgers to exploit the one-on-one coverage in the secondary where the Packers’ deep receiving corps will have an advantage. Rodgers also needs to stay healthy, if the Packers want to take their best shot at returning to the Super Bowl this year, and the best way to do that is to keep him upright.
2. Fill the void at DE
The Packers need to prove that they can fill the void at defensive end after the departure of Cullen Jenkins in free agency. Mike Neal is to fill that void, but the question remains whether he can stay healthy to do so.
The Packers need to bring the pass rush, so that Drew Brees doesn’t have the luxury of spending all night in the pocket waiting for his deep roster of talented receivers to get open.
There is no doubt that the Packers’ will use Clay Matthews, BJ Raji and Charles Woodson in their blitz packages against the Saints, but filling the void at DE would bring added pressure that the Packers can not afford to live without.
3. Establish a running game
The Packers’ running game struggled last year with the loss of Ryan Grant due to injury, which led the Packers to rely heavily on their passing game until the appearance of James Starks late in the season.
The Packers running game should be vastly improved over last year with the emergence of Starks, the return of Ryan Grant and the addition of third round draft pick Alex Green.
If the Packers can run the ball and keep the Saints’ defense guessing, then the Packers should be able to take advantage of the Saints’ secondary with their passing game.
4. Stop the Saints’ running game
Perhaps the most difficult challenge for the Packers will be to stop the Saints’ running backs from gaining triple-digit yardage on the ground.
The Saints greatly improved their backfield depth by drafting Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and signing free agent Darren Sproles. They also benefit from the return of star running back Pierre Thomas from injury.
It will be a long night, if the Packers are unable to stop the Saints’ running game.
5. Special Teams
The Packers’ special teams were ranked near the bottom of the NFL last year. They drafted wide receiver Randall Cobb and kept five tight ends on their roster in large part to improve their special teams.
The Packers can gain an advantage over the Saints, if they can control field position on punt coverage and punt returns. Fortunately, their punter Tim Masthay has become one of the better punters in the league over the past year.
PackersNews.com