But while there will be a feverish desire to watch Rodgers, a four-time MVP looking for a third-successive accolade, whip the ball across each blade of turf in north London on his UK debut, it will be the formidable combination of running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon who threaten to make this a one-sided contest and justify the ‘hosts’ as 9.5-point favourites.
“With the Packers, it’s not just Aaron Jones, it’s Dillon as well,” former Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew tells the Independent. “They’ve done a really good job of running their passing game through their running backs to start the season without Davante Adams. This is opening up the game for the receivers down the field.
Osi Umenyiora celebrates at Lambeau Field in the divisional play-off round in 2012
“When the Packers play the Giants, we’ll get a good view of how they’re transforming their offense. When you lose Adams, you don’t have a lot of good receivers, some rookies in there trying to make plays. You’ve motored your offense to go through the running game.
“Aaron Jones, when he came out from UTEP, I thought he was the best back and sleeper of the draft. His ability to catch the ball, to run between the tackles, he gets skinny through the hole.
“And AJ Dillon, I wasn’t a big fan of this pick early on, but obviously when you saw what they wanted to do and thought about: A 250-pound back in Wisconsin in November and December will rush for a lot of yards, nobody wants to tackle him. And going forward, it’s good to see the plan executed.”
The Packers are yet to showcase the extravagant box of tricks seen throughout Rodgers’ time with superstar wide receiver Davante Adams, who has since departed for the Las Vegas Raiders, but their bruising run game and simplified passing, to suit raw rookie prospects Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, is providing a fine foundation for last year’s No 1 seed in the NFC.
Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers in London
“They’re doing enough to win, they have a QB who manages the game extremely well,” says former Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner. “He can handle the RPOs and get the ball out quickly. It seems to be either dink and dunk or chunk the ball down the field on go routes. It’s not really sophisticated, but they’ll get better. I think they’ll get more sophisticated as they get on, they’re winning with simplicity, it doesn’t matter how you win, you just need to get those Ws.”
While Jones and Dillon pack a punch, the thrill of a rejuvenated Saquon Barkley has prompted genuine buzz around the Big Apple with a league-leading 463 yards on the ground.
“Running backs who bring a dual-threat, that’s where the league is going, and in Saquon, who I’ve been a tough critic of his over the last few years, it seems like he’s back,” remarks Jones-Drew.
“He’s running more violently, more confidently, he’s the leader of the team. He’s more explosive, there needs to be more put on his shoulders because Daniel Jones can’t obviously handle what he’s dealing with. They need to find ways to get him the ball in space, he’s really good route runner, a receiver, and catches the ball with his hands. Be creative.”
Saquon Barkley leads the league in rushing
Quarterback Daniel Jones is the wildcard, of course, after nursing an ankle injury all week to place doubt over his appearance, with Daboll drafting in free agents for a closer look in practice due to immediate back-up Tyrod Taylor still in concussion protocol.
Denied the fifth-year option, Jones has been tasked with proving he can lead the franchise and remain a starter in the league into 2023 and beyond.
British fans will hope to see Jones match up with Rodgers given the rollercoaster nature of his performances since being drafted sixth overall in 2019. But his gritty nature and deceptive speed in space may just compliment Barkley enough to provide a hint of an upset.
“We all wanted to know if Daniel Jones is the guy,” Warner remarks. “I don’t know if we know the answer to that, but Brian Daboll is playing to his strengths: Designing a lot of quick throws and getting the ball out of his hands after problems up front.
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“They have three tight-end sets, hard play action and get DJ out in space so he can use his legs, simplified reads on the outside. It’s not just conventional. Creating easy opportunities. The defense is playing good, we have Saquon, let’s not put it all in Daniel Jones’ lap. It’s about building a culture and instilling some hope. Daboll has done that.”
Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants live from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Sunday, the second of the three 2022 NFL London Games, will be live on ITV with coverage starting at 2pm BST
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