TAMPA BAY vs GREEN BAY
When: 1/24/2021 3:05 PM
Where:

TV: 3:05 PM
LINE: -4
PREDICTION: GREEN BAY , TAMPA BAY

Oddsmakers currently have the GREEN BAY listed as -4 point favorites versus the TAMPA BAY, while the game’s total is sitting at 51.

The beat down was so horrific that a possible rematch didn’t seem enticing at the time.

But three months later, the fifth-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers and top-seeded Green Bay Packers are clearly the best two teams in the conference and they will square off again in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

The winner advances to the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 in a venue highly familiar to one of these teams — Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

But flash back to Week 6 when the host Buccaneers spotted Green Bay 10 first-quarter points and then spent the rest of the game pounding and dismantling the Packers in a 38-10 shellacking.

Tampa Bay star linebacker Devin White didn’t mince words afterward, saying the Packers “didn’t deserve to be on the field with us.”

In the eyes of Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur, White’s words aren’t bulletin-board material. They are facts.

“You know, hey, he was right. They whipped us,” LaFleur said earlier this week. “There’s no sense in talking about it. The only thing you can do is you’ve got to prepare the best you can and then go prove it.”

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw two interceptions — one returned for a touchdown by cornerback Jamel Dean — and was sacked four times while passing for just 160 yards. His accuracy rate (45.7 on 16-of-35 passing) was his worst of the season.

Though things went exceedingly well in the first matchup, Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians can sum up the meeting this way: Doesn’t mean a thing.

“You can’t fall into that trap of what happened last time,” Arians said. “They’re a much, much better football team and we’re a much better football team. Both (teams are) very different right now, so you better take care of today’s work each and every day.”

Tampa Bay reached the NFC title game with a solid 30-20 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The Packers advanced with a 32-18 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday.

In fact, the Buccaneers also won at Washington this postseason and have won seven straight road games as they enter hallowed Lambeau Field while weather reports forecast a 50-percent chance of snow.

“Let’s keep that streak going — that would be pretty sweet,” Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady said. “Let’s get another one. We’re going to be challenged to get it because we’re going up against a great football team.

“It’s a great environment. This is one of the coolest stadiums in the league to play in. I know they’re excited, we’ll be excited, and it will make for a great football game.”

Brady, a six-time Super Bowl champ, will be playing in his 14th career league championship final and went 9-4 in AFC title games during his stint with the New England Patriots. The 43-year-old has been performing like someone younger as he passed for 4,633 yards and set a franchise record with 40 touchdown passes in the regular season.

Rodgers also had a stellar season with 4,299 yards and a franchise-record 48 touchdown passes and is a heavy favorite to win NFL MVP honors. He is playing in his fifth NFC title game and is looking to reach his second Super Bowl.

That lone Super Bowl appearance was 10 years ago, but Rodgers insists he isn’t feeling a raise in the stress level.

“No more pressure than usual,” Rodgers said. “It starts with the mentality and focus. Obviously, I put pressure on myself to perform every single week. There’s a lot to be said to be able to harness that pressure and the fear of failure and focus it into a real positive. But I don’t feel any extra pressure this week.”

Despite the sour outing against the Buccaneers, Rodgers and the Packers committed a league-low 11 turnovers in the regular season. Green Bay also features elite wideout Davante Adams, who led the NFL with 18 touchdowns receptions while making 115 catches for 1,374 yards.

Tampa Bay led the league in defending the run (80.6 yards per game), second-year pro White (140 tackles, nine sacks) blossomed into one of the top linebackers in the NFL and wideout Mike Evans (NFL record seventh straight 1,000-yard season to begin a career) leads a deep group of targets.

Buccaneers receiver Antonio Brown (knee) will miss the game, while defensive tackle Vita Vea was activated. Vea suffered a broken lower leg on Oct. 8 against the Chicago Bears. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (ankle) is questionable.

Packers defensive end Kingsley Keke (concussion) will sit out. Cornerback Kevin King (back) is questionable.

Sunday’s game marks the first time Green Bay has hosted the NFC title game since the 2007 season when Rodgers was the backup to Brett Favre. The Packers lost to the New York Giants 23-20 in overtime.

Tampa Bay is playing in its first NFC championship contest since the 2002 season. The Buccaneers posted a 27-10 win over the host Philadelphia Eagles and went on to rout the then-Oakland Raiders 48-21 in the Super Bowl.

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Dillon rushed for 124 yards – more than doubling his previous season total – and scored two touchdowns in a 40-14 rout of the Tennessee Titans. The breakthrough performance came after Dillon missed over a month because of COVID-19.

“Just so proud of the way he’s battled throughout all the adversity he’s gone through this year with getting the COVID and kind of not maybe getting as many carries as I know he would like,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Monday. “But staying in, and being tough and being resilient. That’s what we need from everybody. And he has definitely been a guy that has epitomized that.”

Pro Bowl selection Aaron Jones added 94 yards as the Packers outrushed the Titans 234-156 even as NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry gained 98 yards for Tennessee.

Before Sunday, Dillon had carried the ball 24 times for 115 yards all season. Dillon’s 18-yard gain in a 24-16 victory over Carolina on Dec. 19 was his first carry since Nov. 1.

“I’ll be the poster boy for COVID is the real deal,” Dillon said after Sunday’s game. “It affects everybody differently, for sure. One person may have no symptoms. Somebody may have very serious symptoms. Not to go too much into myself, but for me it was a hard process.”

Dillon got an opportunity Sunday because a quadriceps injury prevented running back Jamaal Williams from playing.

The Packers believe Dillon’s size – he’s listed at 6 feet, 247 pounds – and his experience playing in Boston make him well suited for cold-weather games.

Dillon demonstrated that with each of his touchdowns on a snowy night. On the first, he shed a tackle at the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-inches, made a move around a defender several yards downfield and delivered a 30-yard score.

He later bulled his way past defensive lineman Matt Dickerson and reached the end zone on a 7-yard inside run.

“There were so many times where he’s hit, whether it’s at the line of scrimmage or 2 yards downfield, and he’s getting 6, 7, 8, 9 yards after contact,” LaFleur said. “I thought that was so impressive. The last touchdown run he had, I mean, he literally ran over a defensive lineman – a nose. And that rarely happens in this league.”

Dillon should have a bigger role in Green Bay’s backfield next year since Jones and Williams are set to be free agents after this season. The Packers (12-3) already gave lucrative extensions to defensive tackle Kenny Clark and offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, so it’s hard to imagine they’ll be able to keep both Jones and Williams.

Now that Dillon has emerged, the Packers may need to give him more playing time during their playoff run.

“It is so exciting when you have three backs that you have so much confidence in,” LaFleur said Sunday. “All three of those guys, to me, are starters in this league.”

WHAT’S WORKING

The Packers raced to a 19-0 lead. They’re outscoring teams 278-150 in the first half and are scoring a league-high 31.6 points per game. The defense held Tennessee to its lowest point total of the season.

WHAT NEEDS WORK

Not much. The Packers’ 19-0 lead shrunk to 19-14 before they put the game away, showing their tendency to let opponents get back into games. LaFleur called this “by far our most complete game in all three phases.”

STOCK UP

Aaron Rodgers boosted his MVP chances by throwing four touchdown passes with one interception. The two-time MVP has an NFL-leading 44 touchdown passes with only five interceptions. . Davante Adams had three touchdown catches to increase his season total to an NFL-leading 17. . S Darnell Savage has four interceptions over his past five games.

STOCK DOWN

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling hasn’t caught a pass in four of his past five games.

INJURED

OT Rick Wagner injured his knee. “I believe Rick is going to be OK, but we’ve got to take some time to get all the information,” LaFleur said Monday.

NUMBERS

0 – The Packers weren’t penalized a single time. This was their first penalty-free game since a 27-20 loss to the Chicago Bears on Nov. 4, 2013.

NEXT STEPS

The Packers visit Chicago on Sunday in their regular-season finale. The Packers would clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC if they win or tie, or if San Francisco beats or ties Seattle. The Bears would make the playoffs if they win.

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TENNESSEE vs GREEN BAY
When: 12/27/2020 8:20 PM
Where:

TV: 8:20 PM
LINE: -3.5
PREDICTION: GREEN BAY , TENNESSEE

Oddsmakers currently have the GREEN BAY listed as -3.5 point favorites versus the TENNESSEE, while the game’s total is sitting at 55.5.

If you like watching touchdowns and embarrassed defenses, you could be in store for some must-see viewing on Sunday night.

When the Tennessee Titans visit the Green Bay Packers in a matchup of first-place teams, it will pit the NFL’s first- and third-ranked scoring offenses. Tennessee leads the league at 31.1 points per game and Green Bay is third at 31.0.

Both teams are also in the top five in yards per game and top 10 in rushing yards per game. Quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill and Aaron Rodgers have combined for a whopping 71 touchdown passes against just nine interceptions.

“We’re going up against probably the best team we’ve faced all year, and a team that doesn’t lose in December at Lambeau (Field),” said Titans coach Mike Vrabel. “The quarterback has thrown 40 touchdowns, and they rarely turn it over. So it will be a huge challenge.”

And it’s fair to wonder if the Titans (10-4), who are tied with Indianapolis atop the AFC South but hold the tiebreaker, are ready for that huge defensive challenge. With the exception of scattered games, they have been vulnerable to any kind of decent passing attack, let alone the one Rodgers can crank up.

Making it even worse for Tennessee is its utter lack of pass rush. It ranks last in the NFL with 14 sacks. If it can’t at least pressure Rodgers, its chances of slowing down the Packers diminish immensely.

“We certainly have to do a better job of everybody being involved in helping disrupt the passing game,” Vrabel said.

Of course, that sword cuts both ways. While Green Bay’s defense has certainly been better than the Titans’, registering 38 sacks to rank ninth in the league, it still yields more than 24 points per game. And it also has the unenviable task of dealing with NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry.

Coming off 147 yards and a touchdown last week in a 46-25 victory over the Lions that included a stiff arm of an unfortunate defensive back, Henry has compiled 1,679 yards. A big game here and a 2,000-yard season could be within reach.

But the Packers can’t be too fixated on Henry. Tannehill is having the best season of his career, on pace to throw for nearly 4,000 yards. Receivers Corey Davis and A.J. Brown could each finish with more than 1,000 yards and are averaging nearly 16 yards per catch.

With the NFC North title in its hip pocket, Green Bay (11-3) is pushing for the top seed and a first-round bye in next month’s playoffs. It got a scare near the end of its Week 15 game with slumping Carolina, but was able to hold off the Panthers 24-16.

Second-year coach Matt LaFleur wasn’t thrilled that his offense didn’t produce anything but a 51-yard field goal by Mason Crosby in the second half, but saluted his team for getting the result.

“We did what we had to do,” LaFleur said. “We held on.”

This will be the 13th meeting of the franchises, dating back to Tennessee’s existence as the Houston Oilers. The Titans’ 47-25 blowout of the Packers four years ago in Nashville gave them a 7-5 series lead. Green Bay blasted Tennessee 55-7 in 2012, the teams’ last matchup in Wisconsin.

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GREEN BAY vs CHICAGO
When: 1/3/2021 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: 5
PREDICTION: CHICAGO , GREEN BAY

Oddsmakers currently have the CHICAGO listed as 5 point favorites versus the GREEN BAY, while the game’s total is sitting at 49.5.

Playoff implications are on the line when the Green Bay Packers visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon to close out the regular season.

Green Bay (12-3) can clinch a first-round bye and the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win or a tie against the Bears. The Packers, who already have clinched the NFC North, also can get a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs if the Seattle Seahawks (11-4) lose or tie against the San Francisco 49ers.

Meanwhile, Chicago (8-7) can clinch an NFC playoff berth with a win over its longtime division nemesis. There are two other pathways for the Bears to secure a postseason spot — if the Arizona Cardinals (8-7) fall short to the Los Angeles Rams (9-6), or if the Bears and Cardinals each finish with tie scores.

Bottom line: Expect a dramatic showdown at Soldier Field when the teams meet for the 202nd time — the NFL’s oldest rivalry. Green Bay leads the series 100-95-6.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur has not had any trouble motivating his players heading into Week 17.

“The guys are dialed in,” he said. “There’s a lot to be motivated about. There’s a lot, obviously, at stake.”

The same is true in Chicago, which has had a roller-coaster season in coach Matt Nagy’s third year. The Bears opened the season with a 5-1 record, then lost six games in a row to fall to 5-7, then won three straight.

Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has played a key role in the late-season turnaround. He was benched for veteran Nick Foles during a Week 3 game against the Atlanta Falcons, but he reclaimed his starting job in Week 12 and has posted a 99.3 passer rating since then with 1,243 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.

“Everything I’ve experienced this season has just made me stronger and a better person and player,” Trubisky said. “Just what I’ve had to deal with and everything we’ve had to overcome as a team, to see where we’re at now, it gives you confidence.

“All the distractions and everything you have to deal with throughout the season and playing within a pandemic, it does make you mentally stronger as a person. And you’re able to deal with a lot more.”

As Green Bay’s defense looks to limit Trubisky — and perhaps more importantly, running back David Montgomery, who has been even more impressive over the past five games — Chicago’s defense will take on a steeper challenge. The Bears must find a way to slow down Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

At age 37, Rodgers is putting up MVP-caliber numbers with 4,059 passing yards, 44 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has a 119.4 passer rating, which leads the league and is the second best of his storied career, trailing only a 122.5 passer rating that he finished with in 2011.

Green Bay won the first meeting this season 41-25 on Nov. 29, as Rodgers passed for 211 yards and four scores at Lambeau Field.

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GREEN BAY vs MINNESOTA
When: 9/13/2020 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -3.5
PREDICTION: MINNESOTA , GREEN BAY

Oddsmakers currently have the MINNESOTA listed as -3.5 point favorites versus the GREEN BAY, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.5.

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MINNESOTA vs GREEN BAY
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 15, 2019
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
LINE: Packers -3.
O/U: 44
PREDICTION: Packers 24, Vikings 23

Oddsmakers currently have the GREEN BAY listed as -3 point favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 44.

The Green Bay Packers benefited from an impressive defensive performance to kick off the NFL season with a victory over the reigning NFC North champions. The Packers will look to defeat a division rival for the second time in as many weeks on Sunday when they host the Minnesota Vikings, against whom they are 0-3-1 in the last four meetings.

Green Bay’s stingy defense made up for a subpar performance from Aaron Rodgers, who essentially capped his one successful drive with a touchdown pass to tight end Jimmy Graham in a 10-3 win over Chicago on Sept. 5. The two-time NFL MVP traditionally has struggled versus the Vikings, throwing for one or fewer touchdowns in four of his past five healthy games against them. Minnesota’s Mike Zimmer sports a 4-4-1 mark in his last nine starts versus Green Bay, but those totals don’t add up to a successful game against Rodgers on Sunday in the mind of the defensive-minded coach. “I don’t really take much stock into that because each week’s a different week and each game that we play him is always a tough, competitive game,” Zimmer said. “… It’s a sleepless week for me.”

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (1-0): Dalvin Cook has received an unfortunate nickname for the scarcity of his appearances in his young NFL career, but the 24-year-old made a statement with his 21-carry, 111-yard, two-touchdown performance in Minnesota’s 28-12 victory over Atlanta. “We need the ‘White Tiger’ to be there for 16 games, right? He’s been special when he’s had the football in his hands, and we’ve got to have him out there,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said. The 31-year-old Cousins threw the ball a career-low 10 times against the Falcons and has been held to 215 or fewer passing yards in five of his past six games. Adam Thielen reeled in Cousins’ lone touchdown pass in the season opener while fellow wideout Stefon Diggs has scored in each of his last five games against the Packers, with three trips to the end zone highlighting last year’s season series.

ABOUT THE PACKERS (1-0): Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams was optimistic in his assessment of Green Bay’s new-look offense under coach Matt LaFleur, with the team mustering 213 total yards and converting just two of its 12 third-down opportunities. “There’s nowhere (to go) but up,” said the 26-year-old Adams, who bids to record a touchdown in his fifth straight game against Minnesota after being limited to just four receptions for 36 yards versus the Bears. A sluggish ground game did the Packers no favors, as Aaron Jones and company rushed for 47 yards on 22 attempts for the second-lowest rushing average (2.1) in the league. Perhaps a return home can jump-start the 24-year-old Jones, as he has scored in three straight games at Lambeau Field and had 93 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in last meeting versus the Vikings.

EXTRA POINTS

1. All 28 of Minnesota’s points in the season opener were scored off turnovers.

2. Packers LB Blake Martinez, who led the team with seven sacks last season, has averaged 10.8 tackles in his last four meetings with the Vikings.

3. Minnesota S Harrison Smith, who had a team co-leading nine tackles last week, has three interceptions and 1.5 sacks in his past four encounters with Green Bay.

PREDICTION: Packers 24, Vikings 23

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GREEN BAY vs CHICAGO
When: 8:20 PM ET, Thursday, September 5, 2019
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

TV: 8:20 PM
LINE: -3.5
PREDICTION: CHICAGO , GREEN BAY

Oddsmakers currently have the CHICAGO listed as -3.5 point favorites versus the GREEN BAY, while the game’s total is sitting at 46.

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ATLANTA FALCONS vs GREEN BAY PACKERS
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 9, 2018
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -5
PREDICTION: GREEN BAY , ATLANTA

Oddsmakers currently have the GREEN BAY listed as -5 point favorites versus the ATLANTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 50.

The Green Bay Packers are cleaning house on the coaching staff with four weeks left in a disappointing season and will be under the direction of a new head coach when they host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin will serve as interim coach after Mike McCarthy was fired following last week’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

The Packers are losers of three straight and five of their last six games to fall out of the race in the NFC North, and McCarthy’s tenuous relationship with quarterback Aaron Rodgers mixed with the disappointing results led to his ouster after 12-plus seasons in Green Bay. “We’ve had certain expectations and standards here for a long time,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters. “To come out at home against a team we felt we should beat, it wasn’t up to our standard. I don’t think we played well most of the season. Things weren’t changing as they needed to change.” The Falcons are in a rut as well and dropped their last four games while failing to score 20 points in each. “We’ve got to get back to work,” Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan told reporters. “We’ve got to find a good way to win. As far as stay together, I think we have a good group of men in our locker room, coaching staff and front office that are willing to work.”

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Packers -5. O/U: 50.5

ABOUT THE FALCONS (4-8): Ryan threw for a season-low 131 yards on 16-of-26 passing in a 26-16 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens last week while getting sacked three times and knocked to the ground on several more occasions. “I’m concerned about it because if we’re not protecting (Ryan) in the way that we can, then that gets hard,” Atlanta coach Dan Quinn told reporters. “There are some games that the score is out of whack and it turns into a dropback game, there are going to be more chances for a defense to go after them, you know that. But at the end of it, yeah, I’m concerned, but I’m as concerned about us playing as well as we can.” Ryan was sacked a total of 14 times in the last four games.

ABOUT THE PACKERS (4-7-1): Rodgers isn’t playing quite up to his MVP-level standards this season but remains the face of the franchise, though he won’t have a say in who the next coach of the team is going to be. “Obviously, he’s free to provide input and talk to us,” team president Mark Murphy told reporters of Rodgers. “But he’s not going to be a part of the process. … The other thing I would say, Aaron was no part at all in the decision to move on from Mike.” Philbin’s first move as interim coach was to fire associate head coach/linebackers coach Winston Moss, who had been with the team since 2006.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Packers TE Jimmy Graham (knee) and WR Randall Cobb (hamstring) are questionable.

2. Falcons WR Julio Jones (foot) sat out practice on Wednesday after recording season lows of two catches and 18 yards last week.

3. Atlanta took the last three meetings, including a 34-23 home triumph last season.

PREDICTION: Packers 28, Falcons 17

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GREEN BAY PACKERS vs SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
When: 8:20 PM ET, Thursday, November 15, 2018
Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

TV: 8:20 PM
LINE: -3
PREDICTION: SEATTLE , GREEN BAY

Oddsmakers currently have the SEATTLE listed as -3 point favorites versus the GREEN BAY, while the game’s total is sitting at 48.5.

The Green Bay Packers have been making fans of the home team happy this season, as they are 4-0-1 at Lambeau Field and, well, 0-4 everywhere else. The Packers look to put an end to their road woes on Thursday as they travel to the Pacific Northwest to face the Seattle Seahawks, who begin a stretch of five home games in the next seven weeks.

“I like our chances at home, but we’ve got to win some road games or we’re going to be at home in January — for good,” said Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who tossed two touchdown passes to Davante Adams in Sunday’s 31-12 romp over Miami. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player has thrown 10 scoring strikes against zero interceptions in the last five weeks overall and has seven TD passes without getting picked off in his last two Thursday games. Seattle has answered winning four of five by dropping two hotly contested matchups versus the Los Angeles contingents. Russell Wilson tossed three touchdown passes in a 36-31 setback at the Rams on Sunday heading into his return to CenturyLink Field, where he has 13 scoring strikes against one interception in his last six games.

TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, FOX, NFL Network. LINE: Seahawks -2.5. O/U: 49

ABOUT THE PACKERS (4-4-1): Affectionately known as the “other” Aaron, running back Aaron Jones is making his presence felt after rushing for 306 yards and three touchdowns in his last three games — including a career-high 145 yards with two scores on a season-high 15 carries against the Dolphins. “He’s a great player. We just need to continue to give him more opportunities,” Rodgers said of the 23-year-old Jones, who aims to exploit the Seahawks’ rush defense that has been gashed for 5.0 yards per carry this season. A promising ground attack could create more opportunities for Adams, whose 31 touchdown receptions since 2016 are tied for the most in the league.

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (4-5): Seattle appears to be getting healthier as running back Chris Carson (hip), right guard D.J. Fluker (calf) and strong safety Bradley McDougal (knee) are in line to be available for Thursday’s game. Carson rejoins a backfield that saw first-round rookie Rashaad Penny rush for a career-best 108 yards and a touchdown against the Rams while fellow running back Mike Davis had his first career receiving score. “It’s a good group, it’s a good problem. Not a great problem for the running backs, but it’s good for us and we’ll try to make the most of it,” coach Pete Carroll told reporters ahead of facing a Packers defense that has surrendered at least 123 rushing yards in each of the last four weeks.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Seattle WR Tyler Lockett has a touchdown reception in seven of nine games this season.

2. Packers TE Jimmy Graham has just six catches for 90 yards in his last three contests heading into a tilt with the Seahawks, with whom he collected 18 touchdowns in three seasons.

3. Seattle LB Bobby Wagner has recorded back-to-back 13-tackle performances and has 29 tackles in his past three home games.

PREDICTION: Packers 24, Seahawks 23

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GREEN BAY PACKERS vs NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
When: 8:20 PM ET, Sunday, November 4, 2018
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

TV: 8:20 PM
LINE: -5.5
PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND , GREEN BAY

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ENGLAND listed as -5.5 point favorites versus the GREEN BAY, while the game’s total is sitting at 56.5.

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers often are mentioned in the conversation as the best quarterbacks in the game, but the former NFL Most Valuable Players rarely share the same field. That will change on Sunday night as Brady and Rodgers will square off for only the second time in their stellar careers when the Green Bay Packers pay a visit to the streaking New England Patriots.

Brady and Rodgers are the only active players in the league to have won multiple MVP awards, among the many reasons for the hype surrounding Sunday’s matchup. “If you want to study how to play quarterback, you need to watch that game Sunday night because you’re going to see all the little things,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “From pure quarterback play, I think this is definitely one you want to watch.” Rodgers came up short in his bid to hand the Los Angeles Rams their first loss a week ago and now must fly to the opposite coast to face Brady and a New England squad that has won five straight and is unbeaten at home. “The challenge from my standpoint is knowing we have to be incredibly productive as an offense,” Brady said. I know we can’t turn it over, I know we’re going to have to possess the ball. I know we’re going to have to score in the red area.”

TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Patriots -5.5. O/U: 56.5

ABOUT THE PACKERS (3-3-1): Green Bay has been fairly one-dimensional on offense as Rodgers is third in the league with an average of 326.1 yards while throwing for 13 touchdowns against only one interception. Although injuries have hindered two of Rodgers’ top receivers, Davante Adams has six touchdown catches on the season and has amassed 24 receptions for 405 yards and three scores over the past three games. A cluttered backfield was thinned out this week with the trade of Ty Montgomery, leaving Aaron Jones poised the lead the ground game after posting season highs with 86 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries against the Rams. The Packers are No. 5 against the pass (221.7 yards per game) but traded starting safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to Washington this week.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (6-2): Running back Sony Michel was limited in practice again Thursday after sitting out last week’s game due to a knee injury and one of the surprise replacements was wideout Cordarrelle Patterson, who had 10 carries for 38 yards. Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has not scored since the season opener, did not practice Thursday and was held to three catches in each of his last two games. Brady threw for 324 yards in last week’s 25-6 victory at Buffalo, connecting with Julian Edelman nine times for 104 yards (both season highs) and running back James White 10 times for 79 yards, hiking his team-leading totals to 55 catches, 459 yards and six receiving touchdowns. New England is vulnerable to the pass, allowing 277.3 yards per game to rank 27th in the league.

EXTRA POINTS

1. New England seeks its 10 consecutive home win against a Green Bay squad that is 0-3 on the road.

2. Rodgers has a 100-plus passer rating in his last three overall and has at least two TD passes in five of his last six versus AFC foes.

3. Brady has eight TD passes and zero interceptions in his past three at home versus Green Bay.

PREDICTION: Patriots 33, Packers 30

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