With Rematch Against Vikes' Looming, Packers Meet Cleveland

NFL News - October 19th, 2009 - Written by John

It would be naive to say that Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers don't want another shot at Brett Favre. In what was the most-watched game in cable television history, Favre single-handedly ripped through the Packers defense, throwing three touchdowns to follow through on his vendetta against his former team. The Packers could only sit and watch as their fear came to fruition after exhausting every effort to keep the future Hall of Famer out of purple and gold.

Rodgers was good, not great in that game. He threw for 384 yards, but most of that was because the Packers were trailing the entire night and he turned the ball over twice. Both of those turnovers turned into points for the Vikings and Rodgers was visibly frustrated with his performance. Not only did it cost the Packers a win, but it cost them a division game. He will get a chance to redeem himself in two weeks when the Vikings travel to Lambeau on November 1st.

With a rematch on the horizon, Green Bay will have maintain their focus this week against the Cleveland Browns, who have been surprisingly competitive in their last three games.

The Packers are favored in a relatively close spread, all things considered, giving seven points, according to BetUS. The over/under is 42 1/2. This has the potential to be a trap game, but a win against the spread is a more realistic possibility. The Browns are 3-0 ATS in October, and are 15-4 ATS over their last 19 during the month.

What's surprising about Cleveland has been it's ability to stay in games without much of a passing attack. Derek Anderson is a mere 11-for-his-last-44 with barely three yards per attempt, and only five players have a catch in the last two games. But they have gotten offense elsewhere, going 1-2, including an overtime loss to the Bengals.

Josh Cribbs has undoubtedly the team MVP and had a 98-yard kickoff return last week against the Steelers. He leads the NFL in kickoff return yards and punt return yards, despite claiming dissatisfaction in Cleveland.

But the Packers have handled their business all year as the favorite. They beat the Bears in the opener before manhandling the Rams and Lions to start 3-2. Rodgers threw for 358 yards in a 26-0 shutout over Detroit last week and is tied for fourth among quarterbacks on ESPN's Fantasy Football. His 1,456 yards is seventh in the league, despite being sacked 25 times in five games.

Donald Driver and Greg Jennings are his main targets, each having 300 yards on the year. The Browns don't have a single receiver with more than 278 yards or 16 catches (Mohamed Massaquoi). Our Week 7 Game Previews include even more information about the games happening this week.

To discuss this and other NFL related stories be sure to check out our new forum at:
https://www.usaplayers.com/forums/nfl-news/