Packers: 3 storylines to watch in Week 16 vs. Titans
Three storylines to watch in Packers-Titans.
In their final home game of the regular season, the Green Bay Packers host the Tennessee Titans.
The Packers are already playoff-bound while the Titans are close to securing their spot in the AFC postseason.
It will be a real challenge for Green Bay this week, who look to continue to build momentum after winning four in a row.
Here are three storylines to watch in Week 16:
1. Matt LaFleur against his former team
Two years ago, Matt LaFleur was calling plays for the Titans offense. Now he goes head-to-head with Mike Vrabel, who was his head coach in Tennessee.
Of course, it’s the first head-to-head matchup between the two and it should be interesting to see. Can LaFleur out-coach Vrabel?
How will either coach respond if their team falls behind in the game?
2. Can the Packers stop Derrick Henry?
The number one goal for Green Bay this week will be stopping the run.
The Packers rank 11th in run defense, but that is misleading. Often this season, the offense has marched down the field and built a big lead, forcing opponents to abandon their run game. Opposing teams have run the ball 339 times against the Packers, third-fewest in the NFL.
The 4.5 yards-per-carry average allowed by the defense ranks 21st, while the Packers are also 22nd in ESPN’s run stop win rate metric.
This might not be the worst run defense in the league, but the Packers need to be much better to stop the NFL’s leading rusher on Sunday night. Derrick Henry was named a Pro Bowler for the second straight year and has a league-best 1,679 rushing yards with 15 touchdowns, also first in the NFL.
Whether it’s through the defense making stops or the offense building a big lead, the Packers must find a way to stop Henry being a big factor in this game.
3. Can the Titans pass defense stop Aaron Rodgers?
Perhaps their best approach will be with the offense. Start fast, raise the tempo, and score touchdowns early. Put the Titans behind in the game and force them to become one-dimensional on offense.
Green Bay’s run defense versus Tennessee’s run offense is a mismatch. But the same can be said when we compare the Packers’ passing offense against the Titans’ defense.
Aaron Rodgers leads the NFL in passing touchdowns with 40. The Titans have the fourth-worst passing defense, allowing 276 yards per game. They’ve given up 29 touchdowns through the air, fourth-most.
Tennessee’s defense has a league-low 14 sacks and now faces an offense that’s given up the fourth-fewest with 19.
The Titans’ success on defense comes with their takeaways, having intercepted 13 passes. However, no offense has thrown fewer interceptions than the Packers’. Rodgers has only four.
Can the Packers stop the Titans’ run game? Can Tennessee stop Green Bay’s passing game?
Sunday, we’ll have the answers.