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Steelers Enemy Intel: Green Bay Packers

It’s hard to take over for a Hall of Famer midseason. Brett Hundley is having some troubles.
Photo by AP

On Sunday night, two of the NFL’s iconic franchises meet at Heinz Field when the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers. The Packers at 5-5 have lost four out of their last five games with Brett Hundley at quarterback in place of Aaron Rodgers. They are currently one game out of the final wild card spot in the NFC and they come into Sunday’s game as 14 point underdogs. The Packers are also coming off a 23-0 loss at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. This game seems like it is mission impossible for them, but anything can happen in the NFL.

Here are my observations on the Steelers Week 12 Opponent: The Green Bay Packers

Packers on Offense

Hundley has struggled to fill the shoes of Aaron Rodgers, but in his defense who can? Hundley has only thrown two touchdowns and seven interceptions with a passer rating of 63.3, which is 34th among qualifying quarterbacks in the league.

The man who will most likely be the featured back for the Pack will be Jamal Williams, who will be filling in for the injured Ty Montgomery. Montgomery will likely be out Sunday due to rib injuries with fellow rookie Aaron Jones also out. The Packers game plan is to try to run the ball with Williams and use Hundley’s ability to use his legs with bootlegs and waggle plays to try to get the ball to Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson. The only chance that the Packers have at being competitive is to try to shorten the game and to sustain drives without turning the ball over.

Player to watch: Hundley

If Hundley turns the ball over this game will be a rout. Plain and simple. Hundley’s ten turnovers are more than Rodgers eight turnovers in 2016.

Packers on Defense

The Packers have been strong against the run in the past few games, including only allowing 58 yards to the Ravens last Sunday. However, the Packers may be without their best players on defense. LB Clay Matthews and Morgan Burnett are questionable with groin injuries.

The Packers have not performed badly on defense. However, they have not done enough to aid their struggling offense with “splash plays” to help them consistently win games. The game plan for the Packers is to make sure they stop Le’Veon Bell first and roll coverages to Antonio Brown to take the chance that Eli Rogers or Martavis Bryant beats them. Nick Perry must find a way to pressure Roethlisberger from the outside and Mike Daniels from the inside to help their secondary.

Player to watch: CB Kevin King

King will have the assignment of covering Brown. The first round pick out of Washington has been dealing with a shoulder injury and his ability to use press coverage may be compromised when covering the ever shifty Brown.

Prediction

I think that the Steelers will take advantage of a banged up pass defense with big games from Bryant and Jessie James, as the Packers will do their best to neutralize Brown. Also, the Steelers will make a few splash plays on defense to give the offense a short field to give the Steelers a 34-13 victory.

Brandon is a Steelers and Pitt Panthers contributor to the Point of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at @bwalkerdadon on Twitter.

7 Comments on Steelers Enemy Intel: Green Bay Packers

  1. mark delsignore // November 26, 2017 at 7:32 AM //

    ON paper, Steelers should win — at home against a very banged up team hanging by a thread.

    But this is the NFL.

    Can the Green Bay Packers lose 6 in a row? Is it possible?

    Under these circumstances — yes.

    Steelers need to keep winning in order to set up The Matchup in three weeks so they can secure home field throughout the playoffs.

    Here We Go!!!!!

  2. Henry Kassab // November 26, 2017 at 10:42 AM //

    Don ?t ever underestimate the underdog, just ask Miami, Alabama and Notre Dame. In this case, however, the Packers only chance is to limit the Steelers to field goals keeping it close through three then hope for a Steelers let down in the fourth.

  3. Dave Biesecker // November 26, 2017 at 10:21 PM //

    The Steelers give up so many long touchdowns that either there’s a weakness in the defense that every team but the Steelers sees, or the secondary just isn’t that good.

  4. Kevin Schafer // November 27, 2017 at 12:03 AM //

    Wow…what a ugly win.

    Belichick and Brady heading to bed and saying to themselves “This is our biggest threat?”

    • mark delsignore // November 27, 2017 at 7:34 AM //

      Steelers will need to play their absolute best game in 3 weeks time

      At home.

      They need to find a way to “step it up” and they can do it — they have the personnel.

      It is what is standing in their way to the SB plain and simple.

      Are they possibly looking ahead?
      Doubt it but who knows.

      In the end, I’ll take the 9-2 and move ahead with this group.

      • Bob Stover // November 29, 2017 at 9:59 AM //

        My biggest take-away from this game is exposed Artie Burns looks without Joe Haden on the other side. He made so many bad mistakes, not from a lack of talent, but from trying to do too much. Cody Sensabaugh is no Joe Haden, but pretty much held his own except for the one long shot down the field. I’m glad Haden will be back in time for the playoffs, and possibly even for the Patriots game.

    • Bob Stover // November 29, 2017 at 9:56 AM //

      I doubt very much that Brady or Belicheck are reading anything into this game other than, “God are they tough at home?” When you play less than a stellar game and still win, that’s a positive. B & B know they are coming into Heinz Field where the Steelers are hard to beat even when they play poorly. They absolutely do not want to play in Pittsburgh in January and know that this December regular season match-up is a must win in order to avoid playing in Pittsburgh in January. A must win game on Pittsburgh’s home field is not going to be easy no matter what you might think.

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