3. Packers Don’t Hit Double Digits on Scoreboard
If division rival Baltimore is capable of traveling to Green Bay and pitching a shutout against the Packers offense, the bar has been set. This may be the boldest prediction out of the three, but here’s why it could happen:
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Brett Hundley has been, for lack of better terms, not the replacement fans in Green Bay were looking for. Hundley, who currently holds a QBR of 37.0, has struggled immensely since taking over the starting job. The Packers offensive line has been below average thanks to various injuries, as the running back position has also been struck by the injury bug as well. Ty Montgomery’s status (ribs) for Sunday still remains up in the air, while fellow running back Aaron Jones (knee) will remain out, with news recently surfacing of a traffic stop involving Jones facing charges for marijuana.
On the other side of the ball is a Steelers defense playing their best football of the season. Touting one of the best units in the league, Pittsburgh is allowing a mere 16.5 points per game. A defense that ranks second in sacks (34) and fourth in interceptions (12) gives reasonable cause that a quarterback in the likes of Hundley will struggle to get things going, along with the rest of the offense as well.
Simply put, the Packers as an offensive unit are a mess right now. Hundley’s decision-making is mediocre at best, making it easier for the run game to be focused on. Is it unreasonable to expect another shutout for Green Bay’s offense? Perhaps. It’s rare for an offense to be shutout two games in a row. Yet is it too out of sight to think the Packers will fail to see 10 points or more? Not with this defense, even with the loss of cornerback Joe Haden. Expect the Steel Curtain to continue molding into the championship caliber defense it should.