Green Bay Packers: 5 Players that must shine vs. Eagles in Week 4

2. The Smiths, EDGEs

Against the Broncos in Week 3, the new Green Bay Packers pass-rushing duo of Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith absolutely feasted. The former led the way with three sacks on the day but the latter wasn’t far behind with two sacks of his own. The Smiths now have combined for 7.5 sacks through the first three weeks of the 2019 season, showing why Green Bay was so active in getting them in tow.

Having said that, the Broncos offensive line has been problematic throughout the year already. They have been one of the more penalized groups in the league thus far, which is usually a sign of a unit that is struggling to be effective in protection, particularly in the passing game. Preston and Za’Darius Smith certainly put that on display.

That’s not so much the case when it comes to the Eagles, though. Even though Jason Peters has a lot of miles on the tires, he and Lane Johnson still form one of the better offensive tackle pairings in the NFL. They are going to be a great test for The Smiths on Thursday night, which puts the spotlight on the edge rushers.

Preston and Za’Darius Smith have certainly made their impact on the Packers’ 3-0 start in helping this team establish a new defensive identity. However, if this team wants to vault into true contender status, these two free-agent additions need to make their presence felt in perhaps one of their toughest matchups of the year in Week 4.