The second major key for the Patriots is simple, but something they have struggled with throughout the season. Playing without turnovers has been an issue for New England, as they have turned the ball over in each of their games this year. Drake Maye was initially a heavy contributor to this problem, leading the team with 10 turnovers, but he has significantly improved his ball security. In the last four games, he has only thrown one interception.
Though Maye has cleaned up his play, the rest of the offense hasn’t. In the past four weeks, the Patriots have fumbled six times, losing four of them. While these turnovers haven’t cost New England games recently, they could present a problem against a dangerous Packers defense.
Green Bay’s defense is one of the best in the league at creating takeaways. They are tied for the second-most takeaways in the league with 15, and their 3.5% interception rate is the fourth-best this season. The Packers have forced at least two turnovers in each of their last five games, including a five-takeaway performance against the Bears. Despite their takeaway ability, they have struggled to bring down WRs after the completion.
The Packers allow the sixth-most YAC yardage in the league, with 945. One major reason for this vulnerability is that their tackling issues, as they missed 42 tackles, which is the 13th-most in the league. Since Green Bay has had issues tackling after completions, the Patriots should look to take advantage of this by getting the ball out quickly.
Although New England will be without three of their top receiving targets, they can still attack Green Bay through the air. DeMario Douglas is a quick, shifty slot WR who has shown the ability to make plays after the catch. This season, he has recorded 117 YAC yards, including a 48-yard touchdown last week against the Miami Dolphins. By getting the ball out quickly to their playmakers in space, the Patriots could force Green Bay to make tackles and limit the defense’s ability to make plays on the ball.
End Of My Patriots Vs. Packers Rant
This Patriots vs. Packers matchup presents another challenge for New England, but they can find success by accomplishing these two keys. They need to play man coverage to shadow Watson and Golden downfield to force Love to throw into tight windows. Then, they need to take care of the football on offense by taking low-risk passing attempts to take advantage of Green Bay’s tackling woes. While it will be a competitive game, executing these two keys could help Vrabel’s team improve to 6-3 and strengthen its position in the playoff race.