Packers vs. Saints
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida TV: Fox
Tipico line: Packers by 4 1⁄2 Packers’ keys to victory: The Packers offense is loaded but the easiest route to winning this game could be disrupting Saints QB Jameis Winston with their defense. Winston’s known as a mistakeprone passer, so having star pass rush LB Za’Darius Smith ready to go would help. But when QB Aaron Rodgers and his supporting cast do have the ball, Green Bay must test the vulnerable starting cornerback opposite CB Marshon Lattimore – whether it’s Ken Crawley or rookie Paulson Adebo, they’ll have their work cut out for them against the likes of WRs Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Randall Cobb.
Saints’ keys to victory: Several things went wrong for New Orleans in last season’s matchup, but the critical flaw was Lattimore getting run off the field by a Packers receiving corps missing its best weapon in WR Davante Adams. On the other side of the ball, the Saints must find ways to create offense beyond giving RB Alvin Kamara as many touches as he can handle. (Last year, he was responsible for 197 of the Saints’ 397 yards of offense.) But it ultimately falls down to keeping Winston clean. The good news is New Orleans LT Terron Armstead and RT Ryan Ramczyk are the best in the business.
Matchup to watch: Packers CB Jaire Alexander vs. Saints WR Marquez Callaway. Callaway has won a war of attrition and enters Week 1 as the top receiver on New Orleans’ depth chart. That puts him on a collision course with Alexander, the best cover corner in the Green Bay secondary. Alexander will be a big test for the secondyear pro.