Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills: Packers’ Keys to Victory
Dec 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) intercepts a pass intended for Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) in the third quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Bills 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
2. Jordy Nelson vs. Stephon Gilmore
Green Bay Packers’ Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson will be tested on Sunday as he is likely to draw a shadow from Buffalo’s top Cornerback, Stephon Gilmore. Nelson has continued his torrid pace in 2014 with another 2 touchdowns last week against the Falcons, but a matchup against Gilmore will present an interesting battle of skill sets.
Nelson enters the game poised to top his reception and yardage totals from a strong 2013 campaign with three games remaining in the regular season.
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/12/2014.
Stephon Gilmore, on the other hand, has been a thorn in the side of opposing Wide Receivers all season long. Gilmore is an extremely physical Cornerback who likes to put his hands on receivers off the line of scrimmage, throwing them off their routes and delaying their efforts to get upfield. The battle on Sunday will be won or lost by Jordy Nelson‘s ability to slip behind Gilmore and expose the Bills’ defense with a deep pass from Aaron Rodgers.
| Games | Def Interceptions | Fumbles | Sacks & Tackles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pos | G | GS | Sk | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | Tkl | Ast |
| 2014 | ds/RCB | 12 | 12 | 3 | 61 | 0 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 8 | |
| Career | 39 | 37 | 6 | 84 | 0 | 27 | 30 | 3 | 116 | 22 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/12/2014.
The development of Nelson’s deep routes will be largely hindered by the Bills D-Line play and the limited time given to Aaron Rodgers, but I feel it would be wrong for the Green Bay Packers to allow that to rule their game plan. They have gotten to 10-3 by dictating their own style of play, not by strategizing as a reaction to opposing defenses.
Nelson will still hold great value in the short and intermediate passing game, of course. The moment that Buffalo decides to blitz a Linebacker or slot CB from Nelson’s side, don’t be surprised to see Aaron Rodgers looking for Nelson on a quick slant route in hopes of putting him into the open field. In those moments, Nelson overcoming Gilmore’s physical approach will be of the utmost importance for the Green Bay Packers.