Road to Winning Super Bowl Starts Sunday for Green Bay Packers

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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers delivered the only quote that mattered during training camp.

“It’s Titletown,” the Green Bay Packers’ MVP quarterback said. “It’s championship or disappointment just about every year.”

For the past decade, there’s always been next year. Lose in the playoffs after a 15-win regular season? There’s always next year. Single-handedly destroyed by Colin Kaepernick? There’s always next year. Gag away the NFC Championship Game in Seattle? There’s always next year. Miss a hundred tackles on Larry Fitzgerald in overtime? There’s always next year. Get blown off the field with half the lineup out with injuries in the NFC Championship Game in Atlanta? There’s always next year. Get run off the run by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game? There’s always next year. Waste the opportunity of opportunities by losing at home in last year’s NFC Championship Game? There’s always next year.

Obviously, if Jordan Love is the starting quarterback and Allen Lazard the No. 1 receiver, next year could look a lot different than all those other next years.

“We’re going to enjoy this year for all that it has to offer, and each other, and I think that’s the right perspective to have when you get in this situation,” Rodgers said on Wednesday.

Here are 28 things to watch, starting with Sunday’s season-opening game against the New Orleans Saints through why Rodgers will exit Green Bay having put the “title” back in Titletown.

Packers-Saints Keys to the Game

1. Interceptions

Consider the absurdity of this statistical comparison: Over the last five seasons, Rodgers threw 24 interceptions. Jameis Winston threw 30 interceptions with Tampa Bay in 2019, his final season as a starter. Winston will make his starting debut with the Saints on Sunday.

2. No Thomas

Winston will be throwing to a depleted receiver corps. Michael Thomas, who led the NFL in receptions in 2018 and 2019, is on the PUP list following ankle surgery. Third-year player Tre’Quan Smith was ruled out on Friday with a hamstring injury and placed on injured reserve.

Who does that leave? Preseason star Marquez Callaway, kick returner Deonte Harris, receiver-turned-lacrosse player Chris Hogan and Lil’Jordan Humphrey. None of the four were drafted. Callaway had 21 receptions as a rookie last year, Harris has 26 receptions in two seasons, Hogan has 216 receptions in nine seasons and Jordan has three receptions in two seasons. That’s 266 career receptions; Thomas had 274 receptions in 2018 and 2019, highlighted by an NFL-record 149 receptions in 2019.

“This Callaway kind has kind of burst onto the scene,” Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry said. “I know Mike isn’t playing right now but the Callaway kid has proven that he can play.”

3. Good hands with Kamara

When the Packers edged the Saints last season, New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara was unstoppable. He caught 13-of-14 targets in the passing game and finished the night just shy of 200 total yards.

“He can do it all,” safety Adrian Amos said. “He does everything. The reason he’s tough to tackle is because he has that burst. He is powerful. He has great balance, great vision, and he has a burst that you don’t see coming. Everybody knows he’s fast, so I don’t like to say deceptively fast, but it’s a burst where you don’t think he’s about to accelerate and he does. He does a lot of things well like that.”

4. Protecting Winston

A big-time matchup will be Green Bay pass rushers Rashan Gary and Preston Smith (and Za’Darius Smith, if deemed healthy) vs. New Orleans offensive tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk. Armstead is one of the best left tackles in the NFL while Ramczyk was a first-round pick in 2017 out of Wisconsin via Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Last season, of 55 offensive tackles with 50 percent playing time, Armstead ranked sixth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap, and Ramczyk was 18th. It could be a long day in the Jacksonville sun for Green Bay’s pass rushers.

5. Protecting Rodgers

With a revamped offensive line, it’s possible the Packers are worse at four of five spots compared to last season. It would be a surprise if Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen didn’t throw the kitchen sink at the rookie duo of center Josh Myers and right guard Royce Newman to stress them mentally and physically.

“It can go so many different ways. They still have to cover a lot of good receivers out there,” Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. “You do get a lot more pressure sometimes, you’ll void zones behind it, which can allow some guys to make plays down the field. I think it’s one of those risk-rewards for anybody. It’s funny looking at last year. They pressured us a lot, more than they ever have. You just have to get the flavor of the day as you move forward and get ready to adjust as the game goes on.”

6. Target practice

The Saints will be down a starter in the secondary with veteran cornerback Ken Crawley out with a hamstring injury. Third-round rookie Paulson Adebo figures to get the call opposite three-time Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore.

“Let’s make sure we all understand that no matter who you are, the best cornerbacks in our league, going up against Aaron Rodgers is no easy task, so certainly that’s a challenge,” Allen said. “We’ve seen (Adebo) perform at a really high level throughout training camp, and so this isn’t something where he’s out there, where we’re doing this by default. He’s played really well and every opportunity that he’s had, two in the preseason, I thought he performed really well. Hopefully, if he’s called on out there to play, he’ll do his job and we feel confident that he will be able to do that.”

7. X-factor on offense

For all the talk of Elgton Jenkins making the move to left tackle, it’s the one solid piece on the line, right tackle Billy Turner, who will have the biggest challenge.

Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan has 94 sacks in 10 seasons. Over the last four seasons, his 48 sacks rank second in the NFL. During that span, he is the only NFL defender to record at least 200 tackles, 45 sacks, 60 tackles for losses and 90 quarterback hits. He rushes almost exclusively from the defense’s left side, meaning a big opening test for Turner. He was up to the task last season, allowing merely two pressures out of 34 passing plays, according to Pro Football Focus.

8. X-factor on defense

Kamara sliced and diced the Packers’ linebackers in last year’s matchup. That’s not really a knock on those defenders. He has at least 81 receptions in each of his first four NFL seasons. He paced all running backs with 83 catches last season.

Enter De’Vondre Campbell, the latest fresh face at linebacker. At 6-foot-4, he’s built more for stopping tight ends but his arrival could help limit Kamara.

“He’s a…