The Packers are heading into Week 9 with some momentum and a road test that has plenty of people leaning their way.
Green Bay is coming off a strong win over the Carolina Panthers, a result that pushed the team to 5-3 on the season. After a sluggish opening stretch, the Packers have started to find their rhythm and look more settled on both sides of the ball.
That record still leaves them in last place in the NFC North, which says plenty about how tough the division has been. Even so, the Packers believe this group can chase a Super Bowl title, and quarterback Jordan Love has been a major reason for that optimism. He has given Green Bay exactly what it has needed, and then some, but the rest of the roster will have to keep pulling its weight if this run is going to last.
This week brings a trip to New England, where the Patriots also enter at 5-3 after beating the Miami Dolphins. It is a matchup between two teams with the same record, but the outside view is tilting toward Green Bay.
Gary Davenport, Brad Gagnon, Kris Knox, Moe Moton, Brent Sobleski, Wes O'Donnell, and Ian Hanford of Bleacher Report all weighed in on the game, and six of the seven picked the Packers to win. Davenport, Hanford, Knox, Moton, O'Donnell, and Sobleski backed Green Bay, giving the team a clear edge in the predictions despite being on the road.
Still, there is a concern hanging over the Packers as they prepare for New England: the running game. Josh Jacobs is back in the lineup, but Green Bay has still had trouble getting much going on the ground, and that remains a key area to watch.
Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. PT/4:25 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Packers Walk Into A Patriots Moment That Will Dominate This Week
The Week 9 trip to New England already had a little extra shine for the Packers, and now it has a broadcast wrinkle to match. Tom Brady is set to call a Patriots game at Gillette Stadium for the first time in his broadcasting career when Green Bay visits Foxborough, adding another layer of attention to a matchup that was already going to draw plenty of eyes.
Brady said he is excited to return to the stadium where so many of his biggest moments unfolded, while Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and others around the organization have been taking stock of the occasion. The conversation around the game has also drifted toward Rob Gronkowskis upcoming Hall of Fame induction, giving this week in Foxborough a distinctly Patriots flavor even before the teams take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Trade Buzz Just Raised The Stakes For This Defense
With the NFL trade deadline drawing near, Green Bay has started to look like a team that could be more than a bystander. The Packers have reason to explore help on defense, especially with Micah Parsons expected back from injury, and the idea of adding another proven edge presence has only sharpened the conversation around how aggressive they want to be.
One name that has surfaced in that discussion is Khalil Mack, a veteran pass rusher who would give Green Bay another disruptive piece if the Chargers decide to listen. Los Angeles has stumbled this season, which only adds to the intrigue around whether a player of Macks caliber could become available, and for the Packers the appeal is obvious: a chance to deepen a defense that could get a lot more dangerous if the right move is made. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Jacobs Puts Packers On Edge As NFL Wait Continues
Josh Jacobs situation has taken another turn as the Packers wait for the NFLs next move. The running back is already back in the middle of a difficult legal and league process after missing six games on the commissioner-exempt list following his May arrest, and recently released police records have now added fresh allegations from three women involving physical and verbal abuse.
For Green Bay, the uncertainty is the real issue. Jacobs has said he believes in his legal defense and expects to stay on the field for the rest of the season, but the NFL investigation is still ongoing, leaving the team to monitor a case that could continue to hang over its backfield. If the league eventually acts, any suspension would likely be applied against the games he has already missed, which only adds another layer to a situation the Packers would rather not have lingering into the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]