Sunday (Night) Best: Bills Top-Ranked Passing Offense Ready For Packers Strength
Fresh off their bye week, the Buffalo Bills appear to be catching their Week 8 opponent, the Green Bay Packers, at the right time.
The Packers (3-4) have lost three straight, as their star quarterback Aaron Rodgers has seemingly hit an offensive standstill. Conversely, the Bills (5-1) are playing some of their best football to date, and are considered (by majority consensus) to be the NFL’s top team.
However, the Packers will provide a formidable challenge to the Bills on Sunday night, especially in one area.
Green Bay enters Week 8 with the league’s top-ranked pass defense, allowing only 168.9 yards per game. Their secondary is led by starters Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes. Reserves Rasul Douglas and Kelsean Nixon, have also played well, particularly when splitting the snaps during Alexanders’ injury. The Pack also has a solid safety tandem in Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage. The unit has made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks for the majority of the season.
Still, Green Bay’s defensive backfield collectively benefits from solid pressure created up front. The Packers have 15 sacks through seven games with linebackers Rashan Gary (six) and Preston Smith (3.5) doing the bulk of the damage.
It should be noted that the Packers pass-defense is about to face its toughest test to date. The Bills currently employ a passing offense which ranks first in the NFL, putting up 323 yards per game. Quarterback Josh Allen has been nothing short of spectacular, having completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 1,980 yards and 17 touchdowns. While Allen will likely pull upon his dual-threat capabilities to remain mobile, he will also need to get the ball out quick and find ways to get the ball into the hands of his receivers.
Buffalo’s top pass catcher, receiver Stefon Diggs, will find a handful of worthy opponents within Green Bay’s defensive backfield. However, Diggs is rather formidable, himself. The 28-year-old ranks second in the NFL with 656 receiving yards, and is tied for second with six touchdown receptions. If the Packers sell out to stop Diggs, Allen may look to fellow wideout Gabe Davis, or perhaps make an effort to get tight end Dawson Knox more involved. It will also be interesting to see if offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey gives Isaiah McKenzie additional opportunities to make plays, as the receiver has been productive with his limited chances.
While both teams will undoubtedly look to present their best efforts in all phases of the game, the battle of the NFL’s top units will likley be the most intriguing, and by extension the most fun, to watch on Sunday night.
Kickoff for the Bills and Packers is set for 8:20 p.m. ET from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY.
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