Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Keys to Victory

Oct 26, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) hands off to running back

(27) during the second quarter of a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

3.  Allow Aaron Rodgers enough time to create.

The Packers’ O-Line could end up being the deciding unit in this football game.  Philadelphia’s secondary can be exploited, especially deep, but Green Bay will need to keep Rodgers upright long enough to do this.  This will be no small task against one of the league’s top pass rushes.

The Eagles rank 2nd in the NFL with 32 tackles, trailing only the Buffalo Bills.

Expect Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb to be their usual, productive selves, but Rodgers will need Eddie Lacy to perform on Sunday, thus limiting the pass rush coming at the Packers.  Lacy has shown flashes in 2014, but he still has not fully returned to the powerful, north-south running style that made him a star in 2013.

His job will not be easy against an Eagles unit that ranks 11th in the league against the run in terms of yards-per-carry, at 3.9.  Only the Kansas City Chiefs have allowed fewer rushing touchdowns than Philadelphia’s four.  Considering this, the Packers may be wise to include Lacy in the screen game early on.

Getting Eddie Lacy open in the flats is attractive for a variety of reasons.  Not only does it produce positive plays itself, but it takes pressure off of Aaron Rodgers while setting Lacy up in space, where he can regain confidence in his punishing running style early against smaller defenders.

Philadelphia’s defense has proven to be an opportunistic and energetic group through parts of 2014, so Green Bay must avoid becoming one dimensional this weekend.  If the O-Line is able to perform and Eddie Lacy can do enough to create the threat of a running game, Aaron Rodgers will have time to be himself.  When that happens, Green Bay is hard to beat.