Packers: Best player matchups of the 2021 season

It’s safe to say the Green Bay Packers have a difficult road through the 2021 regular season, with the league’s fourth toughest schedule.

The Packers will face legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the Chiefs and 49ers, young teams on the rise such as the Bengals and Browns and many more difficult games, regardless of who’s playing quarterback in green and gold.

With strong teams… comes strong players. You can actually make the case that the Packers will go up against the league’s very best quarterback, tight end, defensive tackle, edge rusher, linebacker, cornerback and safety in 2021.

So we’re going to take a look at the five most intriguing individual player matchups that we will see this upcoming season.

5. Nick Bosa vs. Billy Turner/Elgton Jenkins

2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa ran roughshod over the NFL in his first season out of Ohio State. After missing virtually the entire 2020 season due to a torn ACL, one of the league’s best edge rushers is ready to pick up where he left off two years ago.

The outcome of the Packers’ week three game with the 49ers may come down to their ability to stop Bosa and the rest of the Niners’ talented front seven from getting to the quarterback.

To make matters worse, Green Bay might be without All-Pro LT David Bakhtiari. If Bakhtiari is available for this game, at least that limits Bosa to rushing on one side, and Billy Turner has generally fared well when isolated against premier edge threats (see: Khalil Mack).

However, with Bakhtiari unavailable, Bosa would be able to pick and choose his side, and could wreak havoc on the Packers. Another key component in this game will be how the Packers address George Kittle, who also missed the majority of 2020 with injury and will be keen to get back to action.

4. Healthy Aaron Donald vs. Packers O-Line

Aaron Donald was not in shape to play in last year’s NFC Divisional Round Game at Lambeau Field. With torn rib cartilage suffered the week prior, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year battled through the injury, but was a shell of his usual self, ultimately getting dominated by the strong Packers interior of Corey Linsley, Elgton Jenkins and Lucas Patrick.

This time around, playing the game at Lambeau Field might actually make it worse for Green Bay, as I have no doubt that when Aaron Donald steps out on that field, he’ll flash back to what happened in January, and it’ll make him want to deliver the superstar performance he owed us from the playoffs that much more.

Losing All-Pro center Linsley in free agency doesn’t help either. And once again, we aren’t sure whether or not David Bakhtiari will be back for this game, so Elgton Jenkins might still be playing at tackle. It’ll be a major early test for second-round pick Josh Myers, who is the leading candidate to start at center for Green Bay.

3. Jaire Alexander vs. Justin Jefferson (twice)

While the Packers are set to become a primary zone coverage unit under Joe Barry, opposing WR1s will still get their fare share of trips to Jaire Island in man coverage. I could’ve went with literally tons of Jaire matchups here. DeAndre Hopkins, Tyreek Hill, Terry McLaurin, Odell Beckham Jr. and Bengals rookie Ja’Marr Chase are all on tap for Alexander in 2021.

While Justin Jefferson isn’t the best out of that list of receivers, this season we could see the birth of a special matchup on the outside for years to come. If Jefferson continues to build off his breakout rookie season, he’ll be an absolutely special talent with legitimate Hall-of-Fame potential down the line. The exact same can be said for Jaire Alexander.

Assuming both teams want these players on their teams for the better part of the next decade, the 24-year-old Alexander and the 21-year-old Jefferson will be going at it twice a year, every year, and honestly I can’t wait.

Through his first three years in the league, Jaire has frequently gone against Adam Thielen when the Vikings and Packers have met, but I would imagine the transition to Jefferson will be made in 2021.

2. Ravens Offense vs. Joe Barry

Yes, this is an offense versus defensive coordinator battle. The Ravens are, by virtually every stat, the best rushing offense the NFL has seen in the 21st century. They run the ball more than any other team in the league, and they’re mark of 5.6 yards per attempt in both 2019 and 2020 is the highest the league has seen in 23 years, per Team Rankings.

New Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry is expected to bring much of the Vic Fangio scheme with him to Green Bay, the same scheme that Brandon Staley ran with the Rams last year, where Barry was the linebackers coach.

This scheme is very effective against the pass, but by using a light box, and spreading out the defensive linemen, the scheme often invites the offense to run the ball on early downs. This won’t work against the run-heavy Ravens, and so Barry will be forced to adjust.

The Packers didn’t have to face many major scrambling-threat quarterbacks last season. Their three primary edge rushers are bigger-bodied guys for the position who will struggle to win a race to the edge against Lamar Jackson on a read-option. Kamal Martin’s over-aggressiveness when shooting gaps, and tendency to take the bait on play-action passes doesn’t help either.

Adrian Amos is arguably the Packers’ best defender in run support not named Kenny Clark. Amos will be a key factor in this game, and I expect him to align close to the line of scrimmage, maybe in role that resembles a SAM linebacker, as is the nature of Joe Barry’s scheme.

1. Davante Adams vs. Jalen Ramsey

Round two. Davante Adams versus Jalen Ramsey was a highly-awaited matchup in the 2020 playoffs that reached a fever pitch when there was bickering between the two on the sidelines before the game.

However, the Packers got the job done mainly on the ground, and while Adams had a respectable day with nine receptions for 66 yards, we didn’t get as many one-on-one matchups between the pair as we would’ve hoped.

Adams did score a touchdown in man coverage versus Ramsey but it was a quick flat route after coming in speed motion before the snap, a route designed for any receiver to score a touchdown and more so good play design from Matt LaFleur than it was a dominant win by Adams.

This time around, fans will be hoping for more. You can debate that the last match ended in a stalemate, and some fans will argue Adams got the better of Ramsey, but both men will be out to prove something when they take the field on November 28.

Davante Adams is the best wide receiver in football. Jalen Ramsey is the best cornerback in football. It’s that simple.