Green Bay Packers – (at Buffalo Bills)
Week 6 boom: Rashan Gary – HIT
Week 6 bust: Aaron Rodgers – HIT
The Green Bay Packers have been arguably the biggest underperformer in 2022, sitting at 3-4 heading into Week 8. A 3-5 record is looming unless the Packers can pull off an upset in Buffalo against the Bills on Sunday night. This game could either be an important bounce back game or serve as national humiliation, making it a critical matchup midway through the season.
Boom: Aaron Rodgers
Typically, boom and bust candidates are selected based on strengths and weaknesses of each team and focusing on favorable and unfavorable matchups. However, the Packers’ boom candidate this week is solely based on gut reaction. Aaron Rodgers’ lack of comfort with his receivers has been a major obstacle for the Packers’ offense, but now he has to get it together. With the risk of starting 3-5, Green Bay’s leader must step up to save the season. This game could end up being a shootout, which will force Rodgers to piece together more complete offensive performances. The Packers are going to enter Buffalo as heavy underdogs, which Rodgers claimed earlier this week to be a preferable position. Maybe Rodgers will play with nothing to lose and show more confidence in his team’s passing game. If Green Bay wins this week, it will have to be on the back of their future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Bust: Jaire Alexander
The Bills have had two weeks to prepare for the Packers which should work into their favor, especially offensively. While the Packers defense has not been terrible, they have not lived up to their preseason expectations. Jaire Alexander had a very poor game to his standards last week against the Washington Commanders versus Terry McLaurin. Alexander will have another challenging matchup this week against Stefon Diggs, who sits at second in the league in receiving yards, even after his bye week. But unlike last week when Alexander opposed a backup quarterback, this week he faces Josh Allen. Allen and Diggs’ chemistry allows for the pair to succeed even when coverage is nearly perfect. This was evident in Week 1 when Diggs smoked another elite cornerback in Jalen Ramsey. Given the time of preparation, Allen and Diggs may exploit this matchup, even if it is against one of the league’s best cornerbacks.
