While the most anticipated clash of Sunday night’s clash between the Green Bay Packers and the Tennessee Titans could focus on Mike Pettine’s defense against All-Pro runner Derrick Henry, another game Fundamental chess appears in the shadows and is where the Packers should enjoy a huge advantage.
Two important situations in which the Packers are offensive could play as important a role in deciding the winner on Sunday night as Henry against Green Bay’s executed defense.
The importance of the showdown is discordant due to the Packers ’potential for supremacy.
The Titans ’offense has been fantastic both in the third down and in the red zone, placing in the top ten in each category, but it’s a very different story for Mike Vrabel’s defense. In fact, there may not be a worse defense of the situation in football this season.
The Titans defense ranks last in third-down conversion percentage (52.6) and 30th in red zone touchdown percentage (70.9), a potentially disastrous combination of situational incompetence when facing Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
Matt LaFleur’s team could have the best situational offense in football. The Packers rank third in the NFL for third downs (49.1) and first in the red zone (78.4).
Despite some struggles to end the game last Saturday night against the Carolina Panthers, the Packers have been dominant and consistent in the third relegation.
Rodgers leads the NFL in the steps of the third, and is second in passing touchdowns and yards per try and in third place. Receiver Davante Adams is the first to receive yards and the second to the first fall to the third. Receivers Allen Lazard and Márquez Valdés-Scantling and tight end Robert Tonyan have turned 31 catches in the third down in 29 first downs. Rodgers has even faced eight first downs in the third downhill.
The Titans have allowed three touchdown pass triples in the third down (nine) than the sacks in the third down (three). Five different quarterbacks have posted a score of 100.0 in third against the Titans, and have been terrible defending third and short. Of the 92 finishes against the Titans in the third relegation, 74 have achieved the first relegations. And running the ball into third place has become 28 times in 42 attempts.
The red zone (or golden zone, as the Packers call it) has been a magical place for green and gold. The Packers approach an 80 percent touchdown rate when they enter the 20-yard line, largely because of Rodgers. He leads the NFL with 29 touchdown passes in the red zone and has earned three more scores. Overall, the MVP has twice accounted for 32 of the Packers ’40 red zone touchdowns.
The Titans have allowed 39 touchdowns in the red zone on defense, highlighting the curve of the group but also the style of breaking.
It’s probably not a stretch to say the third down and the red zone will decide the game on Sunday night. Or at least go a long way in determining the winner. Both offenses are dominant in situational football, but there is only one defense in the race for the worst in the NFL in the third relegation and red zone.
Henry could be productive for the Titans, but the Packers can do a lot more damage if Rodgers and the offense take advantage of the biggest mismatch in the showdown.