Packers at Ravens: Two X-Factors

Looking beyond the obvious names such as Aaron Rodgers, these two players will have key roles for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at the Baltimore Ravens.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers (10-3) will play at the Baltimore Ravens (8-5) in a heavyweight showdown on Sunday. For Green Bay to keep its grasp on the top spot in the NFC, it will need strong performances from the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and Rashan Gary.

Looking beyond the obvious names, these are two X-factors – one on each side of the ball.

Offense: G Royce Newman

Newman is the last man standing from what might have been the Week 1 offensive line had everyone been healthy. He’s also one of the most improved players on the team, turning in four steady performances in a row.

“He has great athleticism,” offensive line coach Adam Stenavich said this week. “He has all the physical tools that we’re looking for. And it’s just a matter of him understanding his body and putting himself in the best position to be successful. I think this last game vs. the Bears was his most complete game from that aspect of playing with a good base, playing with good hands, moving, coming off the ball, just all the things that we’re looking for in a guard.”

Newman’s early-season struggles weren’t just physical. They were mental. Once or twice a game, a defender would blow past an unsuspecting Newman. He’s cleared that hurdle of late but will be tested by the Ravens’ aggressive scheme directed by coordinator Don Martindale. Given Baltimore’s shortcomings in the secondary, with the starting quartet of cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Jason Peters and starting safeties Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott out with injuries or COVID, Martindale figures to ramp up the pressure.

“Just getting experience” has been the key, he said. “Just every week, learning IDs and different fronts, how to ID that differently. I feel like I’m getting a lot better at that, just kind of seeing the whole picture, just kind of seeing what can all happen. College, the defenses, scheme-wise, are not crazy like this, so just kind of like just IDing everything and getting better at my landmarks and how I need to block a certain combo.”

Defense: S Adrian Amos

This goes well beyond Amos’ Baltimore homecoming.

Regardless of who lines up at quarterback for the Ravens – likely backup Tyler Huntley with Lamar Jackson dealing with an injured ankle – Baltimore will attack Green Bay’s defense with a quarterback capable of chunk gains. Green Bay’s safeties are going to need to come up big to contain the dual-threat of quarterback runs and deep shots. Amos, who typically plays closer to the line of scrimmage than Darnell Savage, will need to be at his best to control the quarterback runs while also keeping eyes on premier tight end Mark Andrews.

“They still can run the ball with him at quarterback,” Amos said of Huntley. “I’ve seen he has a big deep ball, so he can put it out there when he has to. We have to honor that.”

Compounding matters, the Ravens have a lot of speed on the perimeter. Their top receiver is 2019 first-round pick Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who has 70 catches for 866 yards and six touchdowns. He didn’t run a 40 before the 2019 draft but is one of the fastest players in the entire NFL. Rashod Bateman, this year’s first-round pick, ran a 4.43 in the 40 and is coming off his first 100-yard game. Devin Duvernay, a third-round pick in 2020, ran his 40 in 4.39. Duvernay’s game is YAC; the Packers gave up a lot of YAC last week vs. Chicago.

The Packers have to contend with that speed along with a quarterback-centric rushing attack.

“I think what puts this offense in a different category is that it’s so unique to what you defend week in and week out,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said. “This is a very unique offense. (Offensive coordinator Greg) Roman does an unbelievable job. It obviously starts with Lamar but even with their backup Huntley, it’s not like with Lamar, if he doesn’t play, they have to scrap their offense and go to their ‘Backup Quarterback Plan.’ Huntley’s going to come in and run the same offense that they’ve been running. But, they have speed, but this is the National Football League. There’s fast guys that you have to defend every single week.”