Trip isn’t meant for kicks
Fourth straight win is priority for Packers, soccer-loving Rodgers
LONDON — Packers coach Matt LaFleur has done the London trip twice before as an offensive coordinator and “didn’t leave the hotel either time.”
Safe to say, he’d prefer that star quarterback Aaron Rodgers — a Manchester City fan — not try to venture north for the Premier League champions’ home game Saturday (although Rodgers did satisfy his soccer fix Friday when the U.S. women’s team lost to European champion England in a friendly at Wembley Stadium).
The Packers’ schedule for their first international regularseason game doesn’t leave much time for sightseeing. Same goes for the Giants.
Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, had hoped the Packers (3-1) would arrive earlier in the week “to experience a little bit of that culture,” but he knows ultimately it’s a business trip — and a long-awaited one at that.
“For us, it’s a dream,” he said. “I’ve been talking about doing this for years, since they started this, couldn’t wait to get over there, but nobody wants to give up a Green Bay Packer home game. So it’s exciting to finally get a chance to go over.”
Teams are now required to play internationally on a rotating basis, made easier by the addition of a 17th game. The Packers are Sunday’s home team.
Rodgers was on hand this summer when Manchester City played at Lambeau Field, where striker Erling Haaland scored in his club debut. Rodgers exchanged jerseys with City players and told Haaland to “have a great season.” So far, so good.
Packers rookie linebacker Quay Walker isn’t worried about sightseeing, not with the NFL’s rushing leader, Saquon Barkley, lining up for the Giants (3-1).
“I don’t care nothing about London,” the first-round draft pick said. “It’s a great experience to travel outside the country, but we’re just trying to get a ‘W.’ ”
QB concerns for Giants
The Giants have question marks at QB. Daniel Jones sprained his left ankle last week against the Bears but was showing improvement by midweek. At practice Wednesday, he wore high-top red shoes for more support.
Backup Tyrod Taylor was in the concussion protocol after he also left Sunday’s game. Coach Brian Daboll tasked Barkley with taking direct snaps to help close out the Bears game.
Practice-squad QB Davis Webb would be the Giants’ third choice.
Turnover trouble
In each of LaFleur’s first three seasons, the Packers committed the fewest or second-fewest turnovers in the league, but they’re not taking particularly good care of the ball this year. They’ve turned the ball over seven times in four games and have a minus-3 turnover margin — an issue LaFleur knows must be fixed as they seek a fourth consecutive victory.
“Put too many on the ground, there’s no doubt [that] once you do that, the other teams that are watching you, that are studying you, they kind of smell blood in the water,” he said. “They’re going to go relentlessly after that football.”
Gary’s going for it
Packers outside linebacker Rashan Gary has five sacks — at least one in each of the first four games. He’s the first Packer to record a sack in each of a season’s first four games since Cullen Jenkins in 2010.
If Gary gets a sack Sunday, he also would tie the franchise record for consecutive games with a sack. Tim Harris had a sack in five straight games in 1989, and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila did it in 2000-01.