The Pittsburgh Steelers take on a beat up Green Bay Packers team Sunday night at Heinz Field.
Whether it’s Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers or Brett Hundley, the Packers have always been a tight competition for the Steelers. This season, they may not be on the same level, but it’s certainly still a game everyone is going to want to keep an eye on.
For Steelers fans, they may not know everything there is to know about Green Bay. That’s why Still Curtain brought in a Packers expert to help answer some questions regarding Pittsburgh’s Sunday night matchup.
Freddie Boston, the site expert for FanSided’s Green Bay Packers site, Lombardi Ave, breaks down everything Pittsburgh needs to know about their opponent. Because it’s Thanksgiving week, and everyone is still recovering from their food coma, we decided to rip off one of our six-pack of questions and keep it simple for Week 12.
Because everyone knows the best way to get past a stuffed Thanksgiving meal is to drink a cold one.
So, what should the Steelers expect from Green Bay Sunday night?
Q: Without Aaron Rodgers, this offense has not seen the success it was hoping for. What are the expectations for Green Bay’s offense against a strong Pittsburgh defense, Sunday?
Boston: It’s hard to expect anything other than a disappointing showing from Green Bay’s offense. Outside of an exceptional fourth quarter against the Bears, Brett Hundley has looked lost. He doesn’t read defenses quickly enough, makes poor decisions and hangs on to the ball too long.
This offense is built around Aaron Rodgers’ unique ability to buy time in the pocket and make highlight reel plays on the move. Mike McCarthy has tried to be conservative with Hundley and it didn’t work. He was more aggressive last week and it led to three interceptions.
My expectation is that the Packers’ offensive flaws will get exposed against a talented Steelers defense. It could be a long day for Hundley.
Q: Ty Montgomery has been dealing with injury all season and is doubtful this week in Pittsburgh. What should the Steelers expect in the backfield with his absence? And what does Jamaal Williams bring to the table at RB?
Boston: Ty Montgomery’s absence can’t be understated. His versatility forces defenses to show their hand. The Packers use him all over the field and he’ll be missed in this game.
Jamaal Williams is a completely different player. He doesn’t possess the same big-play ability as Montgomery or fellow rookie Aaron Jones, but Williams is a powerful runner who fights for yards after contact. He has put in two solid performances with Montgomery out and played a key role in the team’s win at Chicago two weeks ago.
Expect to see a lot of Williams of Sunday. We may also see a few carries sprinkled in for fullback Aaron Ripkowski and even Randall Cobb.
Q: Green Bay has a long list of injuries this week including Clay Matthews, Morgan Burnett and Kenny Clark. How is the defense going to overcome these losses if these three can’t go Sunday?
Boston: Green Bay’s biggest strength on defense this year has been against the run. And Kenny Clark is a major reason why. The second-year player has been nothing short of exceptional. Losing him is bad news ahead of a meeting with the league’s leading rusher. Mike Daniels is a force along the defensive line and will need to have a great game without Clark there alongside him.
Clay Matthews, too, was having a solid season and will be missed if he’s unable to go. Nick Perry is the Packers’ sack leader and looks good to go, which is encouraging, but the pass rush as a whole has been disappointing this year.
The Packers do expect to have Morgan Burnett back this week, which will give the entire secondary a boost. Burnett is a leader on the field and wears a lot of hats in Dom Capers’ defense. Getting him back out there is important.
Q: Who’s the Packers’ X-factor without Aaron Rodgers? Winning in Pittsburgh is not easy, so who will lead Green Bay over the hump in Week 12?
Boston: To have a chance of winning it has to be Jamaal Williams. The Packers won’t win this game with Brett Hundley. Mike McCarthy needs to help his young quarterback by running the ball again and again. Green Bay effectively became a run-first offense against the Bears, and it worked beautifully. It’s baffling why McCarthy went away from that against Baltimore last week.
This week’s trip to Pittsburgh is daunting, and Williams will need to see plenty of the ball for the Packers to have a chance.
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Q: What’s your prediction for the game?
Boston: Steelers 37, Packers 7. As much as I’ll be hoping for a Packers victory, it’s not happening. This one could get ugly in a hurry. Maybe, just maybe, the Steelers will become the first team to score a million points in a game.