3 Matchups That Will Define Jaguars-Packers

Which matchups between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Green Bay Packers will decide Sunday's game?

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) carries the ball against the New England Patriots in the first half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The NFL is all about matchups.

Each week, games are decided by which teams have an advantage on each side of the ball. Who has the better pass-rush? Whose receivers can win one-on-one?

As a result, we will take a look each week at which matchups are the most important for the Jacksonville Jaguars to win. This week, we start it off with the three key matchups between the Jaguars and the Green Bay Packers.

Brian Thomas Jr. vs. Jaire Alexander

Brian Thomas Jr. has consistently played well against top cornerbacks as a rookie, getting big plays against the likes of Jalen Ramsey, Christian Gonzalez, Greg Newsome, and Derek Stingley. But he will play arguably his greatest test yet in Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander, who has been one of the best cornerbacks in football in 2024 ... again.

The Packers play a zone-based scheme so there may be fewer true one-on-ones this week, but there does feel like a good chance the Packers will ask Alexander to follow Thomas like Gonzalez and the New England Patriots did last week. How the Jaguars offense is able to get Thomas the football in a matchup with a true lockdown cornerback like Alexander will help determine how this game plays out.

Tank Bigsby vs. Quay Walker

Sunday's matchup will feature two high picks and SEC products meeting in the middle of the field for some throwback, smash-mouth football. Former Auburn running back Tank Bigsby and former Georgia linebacker Quay Walker have faced off before, but Sunday's tilt will have bigger stakes as each will play a big role in determining how well Jacksonville runs the ball.

According to NextGenStats, Bigsby has recorded a league-high 5.3 yards after contact per carry and the 4th-highest missed tackle forced rate (37.3%) among running backs with at least 25 carries this season. If he can consistently beat Walker between the tackles and in space like he has to other linebackers in recent weeks, the Jaguars' running game should see a big boost.

Matt LaFleur vs. Devin Lloyd

There are few play-callers who have proven themselves as capable as Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. LaFleur has ran one of the NFL's best offenses now with two completely different quarterbacks and with one of the youngest supporting casts in the NFL. And arguably the best thing LaFleur does is target mismatches in the passing game.

While Devin Lloyd has been a strong run defender and blitzer at linebacker this year, he has had his fair share of issues in coverage over the last several weeks. LaFleur can be expected to try to get his tight ends and running backs involved in the passing game this week, so seeing how Lloyd and Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen respond will be critical.

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