The Green Bay Packers (5-3) are on the road to play the defending AFC champion New England Patriots (5-3) on Sunday afternoon in FOX's "America's Game of the Week" for Week 9. Both the Packers and Patriots have won four of the last five games after 1-2 starts, and both teams currently hold the No. 7 seed in their respective playoff races. Can the Packers go into Gillette Stadium and beat a team with an impressive young quarterback in a spotlight game?
Previewing Packers-Patriots in Week 9 with managing editor Zach Kruse and contributor Mark Oldacres:
What we're watching
Zach: My eyes will be locked onto the line of scrimmage. Can the Packers pressure Drake Maye -- who is a tremendous athlete -- into mistakes without giving up scrambling opportunities? Disciplined
pass-rushing will be a priority, especially against a quarterback who will likely have to hold the ball so a patchwork receiver group (no A.J. Brown or Romeo Doubs) has time to get open. Offensively, the Packers have a big challenge ahead in the Patriots front, which is deep and talented. Interior rushers Milton Williams and Christian Barmore can wreck games. But the edge rushers, including rookie Gabe Jacas, have been excellent disruptors in 2026. This is a game that will likely come down to which team wins the pressure battle.
Mark: Is there any hope for the Packers run game? After a mini bye where they studied what has gone wrong on the ground so far, the coaching staff has expressed optimism that the plays are there to be made and in their minds, it is simply a case of ‘keep plugging away’. If they are right and Green Bay can find a way to fashion even a moderately efficient rushing attack, it would do wonders for their chances of being a genuine contender. The Patriots are not easy to run against, so perhaps hopes should not be high, but I am at least interested to find out if there is any light at the end of the tunnel.
Biggest reason for optimism
Zach: Drake Maye and the Patriots offense will be without A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, TreVeyon Henderson and possibly Hunter Henry. Maye is a terrific quarterback, but he is about to face a red-hot Packers defense without a significant chunk of his supporting cast. The Packers need to pounce on the opportunity and keep the Patriots under 20 points.
Mark: The Patriots might not be as good as their 5-3 record suggests. There is a massive discrepancy between how both their offense and defense performs based on the level of opponent, which is a theme that carried over from last season when they rode a soft schedule all the way to the Super Bowl. The Packers are far from perfect, but their defense has proven its credentials and Jordan Love can put up points on anyone. They may simply prove themselves to be a step above the Patriots on Sunday
Biggest reason for concern
Zach: PFF rates the Patriots defense as having the NFL's second-best pass-rush. New England has five players with at least 14 pressures, and the group is effective at blitzing second-level linebackers. Keep a close eye on the interior. Can the Packers offensive line -- which won't have Sean Rhyan and continues to shuffle through guard combos -- keep Jordan Love clean in the pocket? Milton Williams and Christian Barmore and three productive edge rushers will provide a big test for an improving line. This will become a slugfest if the Packers can't consistently win up front in the passing game.
Mark: Trey Smack is a concern until he proves otherwise. After a disastrous game in Detroit he missed the opening point against Carolina last week, and although he recovered to make the rest of his kicks, it was hardly enough to inspire confidence. It could be gusty in Foxborough on Sunday, adding another variable for him to overcome. If this game is close and Green Bay needs Smack to make a kick, everyone will be holding their breath.
Matchup to watch
Zach: The Packers defense vs. Drake Maye. Getting to the Super Bowl in the NFC will likely require beating a quarterback like Brock Purdy or Caleb Williams, so facing Maye -- an athletic improviser who can create outside of structure -- provides a nice litmus test for the Packers defense. Entering Week 9, Maye has an NFL-high 26 scrambles, and he's holding the ball for 3.23 seconds on average, topped only by Williams (3.39). Will Jonathan Gannon adjust how often he sends blitzes? Can the Packers keep Maye in the pocket? How will the secondary handle covering downfield for a half-second longer than usual? What happens when Maye tucks the ball and runs? Sunday should provide answers on how the Packers defense can handle this specific type of quarterback.
Mark: Matthew Golden vs. Christian Gonzalez is a clash of two highly talented young players, and the Packers need Golden to bring his A-game this week against a Patriots secondary that plays a lot of man coverage and contests a lot of passes. It is an opportunity for Golden to not only show he can get open against top tier cornerbacks, but also to put the drop issues behind him, as there will certainly be moments where Love throws him a trust ball with a defender in close proximity.
Packers win if…
Zach: The Packers protect Jordan Love, keep Drake Maye from improvising big plays and get a perfect kicking day from Trey Smack. The run game might just be dead, so Love will have to carry the load. Protect No. 10 and good things happen. Maye is missing a lot of weapons and will likely be forced to play some hero ball on Sunday. Win the important downs when Maye holds the ball. And Smack can't afford to leave any points out on the field during a potentially gusty day outdoors at Gillette Stadium.
Mark: They win the turnover battle. Drake Maye is an excellent quarterback, but he puts the ball in harms way and will throw right into the teeth of Green Bay’s defense, giving Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams chances to make a splash play. They must make the most of those opportunities against a quarterback otherwise capable of moving the ball and putting up points even with an underwhelming supporting cast. The Patriots have also been putting the ball on the ground plenty with a league-leading 14 fumbles, giving the Packers another avenue for crucial turnovers.
Data dump
Zach: Don't expect a dink-and-dunk type of day from the two quarterbacks. Jordan Love has attempted an NFL-high 52 passes of at least 20 yards in the air; Maye is third with 34. Love and Maye are 1-2 in deep passing yards entering Week 9. They are both at 9.8 yards in average depth of target, confirming what everyone knows: Love and Maye are big-play hunters who are going to push the ball down the field. Bombs away on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Mark: The Patriots defense ranks 10th in EPA per play when leading, eighth when tied and 31st when trailing. Jonathan Gannon’s defense has helped keep the score down in recent weeks, giving Matt LaFleur’s offense a chance to stay in the game at times. If they can do so again and the Packers are able to start hot on offense, they will be set up for success in this one. Speaking of Gannon, Green Bay’s defensive coordinator must commit wholeheartedly if he is going to blitz Maye, who is fourth in EPA per play against five pass rushers but only 18th against six or more.
Predictions
Zach: Two factors tilt this one to the Patriots for me: Drake Maye's ability to create out of structure and under pressure, and New England's depth and talent in the pass-rushing group. In a game that looks so likely to come down to which quarterback is better protected or can create under pressure, the edge -- at least in my mind -- goes to the Patriots. I don't think the Packers have faced a team with this combination of quarterback talent and pass-rushing depth yet this season. Winning in New England, where the Patriots are 3-0 to start 2026 and 11-1 in their last 12, is tough. One other thing to watch: Can Trey Smack make a big kick outdoors in a tricky stadium? These teams are so evenly matched, so a missed kick could make all the difference. I'll go Patriots by a field goal in a back-and-forth battle. Patriots 24, Packers 21
Mark: Just like last year, the Patriots have been beaten up on weak opponents and struggled against playoff caliber teams, and that goes for both sides of the ball. New England’s offense has averaged 31 points per game against defenses ranked 18th or lower in EPA per play and only 15 points per game versus units ranked in the top eight. Drake Maye is a great quarterback but makes big mistakes and does not have much help at the moment without A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs and potentially Hunter Henry for this game. Expect to see the types of ups and downs the Packers offense usually goes through en route to putting up a good points total, while leaving some out on the field. I think the Packers are simply a better team than the Patriots and will show it on Sunday. Packers 26, Patriots 16
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers vs. Patriots preview and predictions: Can GB win compelling QB showdown?
