After losing three in a row without Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers have claimed their first victory with Brett Hundley under center. Hundley was able to overcome their losing streak by getting a win versus the historical rivalry between the two franchises. That's their first win over the Bears without Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers as a starter since 1991. Green Bay looked much better going into Soldier Field, as lots of negativity was muttering around the media about how capable Hundley was as a leader for the Packers. Instead, we saw a much calmer and composed Brett Hundley.
He became a quarterback that began taking shots downfield and assessing his surroundings much better. A win over the Chicago Bears gave exactly what the Packers needed -- confidence.
The Packers are coming back home to Lambeau Field this Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens, who are no easy push-over. Baltimore has been notoriously good at defense with their head coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dean Pees. This is the same defense that has completely skunked both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Miami Dolphins, along with stopping the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns. Although their defense can be impressive, the question is what type of Baltimore team is going to show up on Sunday?
The same team that has shown great strength at times has also been embarrassed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, along with losing to the Chicago Bears, who the Packers have already beaten twice on the year.
How can Green Bay win against the Ravens?
The strategy to win is quite simple for the Packers. Ever since Rodgers has gone down with a collarbone injury that Green Bay has become a run-first type of offense.
According to ESPN’s injury report, starting running back Aaron Jones will be out the next few weeks with a knee injury, but the depth of Ty Montgomery and Jamaal Williams have come up big for the Packers in the past. Baltimore's defensive strategy is going to want to stack the box, prevent the run, and force Brett Hundley to beat them with his arm.
Playing into that strategy is exactly how Green Bay will be able to win. We saw against Chicago that Hundley is capable of making good throws downfield, with impressive plays to Randall Cobb and Davante Adams. The Packers offensive line will need to provide protection for Hundley. Giving him time in the pocket to make big plays capable of happening, and with more experience under his belt the young QB will be able to make decisions on whether to run or simply throw the ball away.
Where Baltimore's offense stands
Green Bay should come out blazing right away. Drive down the field, score fast, and force Baltimore's offense to keep up. It sounds very simple, but the Ravens offense has been struggling this season.
Out of the 20 touchdowns scored this year, six of them came from the defense. Joe Flacco only has eight passing touchdowns on the year, and matched those with ten interceptions. Baltimore's run game is also in the same boat with Green Bay’s depth as the ball has been switched around between Alex Collins, Javorius Allen, and Terrance West.
Packers defense will have to rely on big stops, and possibly win with a higher turnover ratio. This will keep the ball in Hundley's hands and take control of the time of possession. It can start with defensive pressure up front, forcing Joe Flacco little time in the pocket and stuffing the run. Packers have been pretty good on their rush defense all season, so they will have to rely on their very young secondary to make big plays throughout the game.
Time to write history again
The pieces are all set for Hundley to be successful in this game. Mike McCarthy has a lot of faith in his quarterback. NBC Sports reports head coach McCarthy has been quoted to say, “He’s got what it takes. He has it in his body, he has it in his mind, and he definitely has the heart.” Even during the losing streak, Hundley has remained calm and determined in his abilities. Now with his first official NFL win under his belt, this game is going to determine whether he can make a believer out of the critics out there. It's time for him to shine, and show the fans of Green Bay exactly why the scouts favored him in the draft. Plus to top it all off, getting a win against the Baltimore Ravens will finally give Brett Hundley the glory of achieving his first win in historic Lambeau Field.