Go beyond the scoreboard
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Breaking down how the Chargers (4-5) and Green Bay Packers (3-6) match up heading into their game Sunday at 10 a.m. PST at Lambeau Field. The game will be televised on Fox.
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When Chargers have the ball
Chargers receiver Keenan Allen (13) will be facing a very good Packers secondary, which allowed a season-high 104-yard receiver back in Week 3.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Justin Herbert is coming off one of the best games of his career, a game in which he led the Chargers to touchdowns on each of their final five possessions against Detroit. Green Bay has allowed only five touchdowns over its last three games. No, the Packers’ 3-6 record isn’t a reflection of a bad defense. In fact, they haven’t allowed a quarterback to throw for as many as 275 yards in a game. Of course, they haven’t played anyone quite like Herbert when he’s rolling. The biggest receiving game Green Bay has yielded came in Week 3, when New Orleans’ Chris Olave reached 104 yards. That gives the Chargers’ Keenan Allen, who is questionable because of a shoulder injury but is expected to play, a goal. The offense’s production against the Lions included three second-half touchdowns, the Chargers finally finding success over the final two quarters. They had been averaging barely eight points after halftime entering Week 10. Green Bay has shown vulnerability against the run and just allowed Pittsburgh to rush for 205 yards. Herbert has operated most of this season without a reliable ground attack. Some space for backs Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley would be a boost and take some burden off the passing game.
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When Packers have the ball
Quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers have not scored more than 20 points since Week 2.
(Kiichiro Sato / Associated Press)
The Chargers had an almost comically awful performance last week in giving up 41 points to Detroit. They were again burned repeatedly by explosive plays as the open spaces in the second and third levels of their defense were exploited. The good news: they’ve been much better defensively against inferior opponents and lesser quarterbacks. That’s exactly what the Chargers are getting in the Packers, who haven’t scored more than 20 points since Week 2. Jordan Love is 19th in yards passing per game, tied for 24th in yards per attempt and 33rd in completion percentage. Only Buffalo’s Josh Allen has more interceptions than Love’s 10. The Lions were sixth-best league-wide in both passing and rushing; Green Bay is 19th and 21st, respectively. So this sets up as a more favorable matchup for a defense that continues to be the NFL’s least dependable. Entering Week 11, the Chargers were giving up 24.3 more yards passing per game than any other team. If they held the Packers to zero passing yards, Tampa Bay — the league’s second-worst pass defense — could give up 218 yards Sunday at San Francisco and the Chargers would still be last.
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When they kick
The Chargers had a choice to make in training camp between Cameron Dicker and Dustin Hopkins. They selected Dicker and traded Hopkins to Cleveland. The deal so far is working out for both teams. Dicker is 14 of 15 on field goals and 27 of 27 on extra points, and Hopkins leads the NFL with 24 field goals. Hopkins made a game-winner against Baltimore last weekend. The Packers’ Anders Carlson is 13 of 15 on field goals and 16 of 17 on extra points.
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By the numbers
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Jeff Miller’s prediction
After opening 2023 at 0-2 and 2-4, the Chargers basically have been playing games they can’t afford to lose all season. Here’s another one. They ended the week as field goal favorites in historic Lambeau Field. CHARGERS 27, PACKERS 22
NFL week 11 picks: Browns go to UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson in showdown with Steelers. Chargers (on road) and Rams (at home) aim to get back in win column.
