Week 2 has come and gone. The Cleveland Browns put up a fight against a divisional rival for a little bit but the Baltimore Ravens, but it didn’t turn out to be much of a fight as the team fell apart down the stretch. It doesn’t get much easier as the Green Bay Packers come to town this Sunday. Granted, it’s early, but the Packers look like the only team in the NFC that can challenge the Philadelphia Eagles.
Green Bay is one of the youngest teams in the league and you can see the talent and upside
for that group.
Offensively, led by QB Jordan Love, it is a unit that has potential. RB Josh Jacobs is a solid running back that spearheads a solid running game (despite some hiccups early), but the WR corps is one to talk about. The Packers receiver room doesn’t have a true WR1, at least not now, but it’s committee-based.
WR Jayden Reed is on the shelf for a while after suffering a broken collarbone last Thursday night, but WRs Matthew Golden, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks will look to contribute in his absence. Look for rookie WR Savion Williams to get involved as well.
Defensively, this might be Green Bay’s best in a while. Trading for DE Micah Parsons was the missing piece from their much-maligned pass rush that’s plagued them. Parsons is in the same tier as his counterpart DE Myles Garrett, as both received lucrative paydays but Parsons received it from a new team. LB Edgerrin Cooper is starting to emerge as a star in the LB room, while safety Evan Williams is starting to emerge in the backend opposite of Xavier McKinney.
Talented defense, but some questions persist on how good they can be.
Here are the three players to watch for in this upcoming matchup:
QB Jordan Love
As someone who bought stock in Jordan Love when he first made his start in Green Bay, seeing him get better year after year has been nice to see. It was going to take some time for him to figure it out, but it looks he has.
We all know how good of an arm he has, but his mobility has been on display. He doesn’t have the dual threat ability that Lamar Jackson has, but he will take off when needed.
Passing-wise, Love has good touch and ball placement on his passes, and he isn’t afraid to throw the ball deep when needed. His deep ball can be hit or miss but he has the arm talent to generate explosive plays. For Cleveland, the goal should be to limit Love and force him into making mistakes. The Browns defense has struggled to create takeaways, but Love has a tendency to try to give the ball away, even though he hasn’t thrown an interception so far.
If Cleveland’s pass rush can get to Love, this game can be interesting.
LB/EDGE Micah Parsons
If you were to ask me who are the top two edge rushers in the NFL right now, it’s Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons. Garrett is one of one but Parsons isn’t far behind him.
When the Cowboys traded Parsons to the Packers, like everyone els,e I was shocked, but the Packers needed another edge rusher and they got one of the best in the league. Parsons has the ability to wreck a game and he’s done it since he’s been there.
Explosive get-off, great power and speed with good bend. It seems as if both Garrett and Parsons were built in labs. The only way Cleveland’s offense can sustain drives is by containing #1 and maybe running right at him. Parsons will be moved around and put in favorable matchups for Green Bay to exploit. Double teams and chip blocks will have to be effective to stop Parsons.
TE Tucker Kraft
Kraft is questionable to play on Sunday after Thursday’s injury, which makes him even more notable.
If there is one player that the Browns defense has to be mindful of, it’s TE Tucker Kraft. With Reed being out for an extended period of time, look for Kraft to have an extended role in Green Bay’s offense. Kraft had a breakout game last Thursday against the Commanders and it’s no secret why the Packers view him in such high regard.
Good after the catch, the ability to generate yards after contact and a reliable target it wouldn’t surprise me if Kraft gets a Pro Bowl nod this season. For Cleveland, they have held up well against tight ends this season but Kraft is a different breed. He’s not unstoppable but he’s someone capable of taking a game over. Look for Cleveland to target Kraft and avoid playing man and opt for a more zone look to keep him at bay and avoid potential mismatches that he can create.
