Forget the Scoreboard—These 3 Player Duels Will Determine Who Owns Week 6 Between the Packers and Bengals.QQ
Brandon Carwile, Packers Wire
Coming out of the bye week, the Green Bay Packers will face off against an uncommon AFC opponent in the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6.
After losing three straight to fall to 2-3, the Bengals made a bold move this week, trading for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to keep their playoff hopes alive in the absence of Joe Burrow. The Packers lost their first matchup against Flacco this season in a brutal 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns and now get a shot at redemption.
Green Bay started off hot, winning its first two games, but entered the bye week at 2-1-1. Perhaps a meeting with a struggling Bengals team is what they need to right the ship.
Yet, despite some disappointing performances and not having their franchise quarterback, Cincinnati still has enough star power to make it dangerous. It wouldn’t be surprising if this game came down to who wins the key matchups.
Let’s highlight what those might be:
LT Rasheed Walker vs Edge Trey Hendrickson
Assuming Walker plays. Green Bay’s starting left tackle isn’t having the type of season many hoped. Walker has surrendered a team-high 13 pressures, is tied for the lead with two allowed sacks, and is about to face last year’s sack leader. Coming off consecutive 17.5-sack seasons, Hendrickson is well on his way to another prolific season with 4.0 sacks and 21 pressures through five games. Walker popped up on the injury report this week with a quad injury and was a non-participant in Thursday’s practice, making his availability for Sunday unclear. He needs to play much better, but asking him to do it while not at 100% against a premier pass rusher is not ideal. Hendrickson has game-wrecking potential, so whether it’s Walker or someone else, like 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan, the Packers need to have confidence in who is protecting Jordan Love’s blindside.
CB Keisean Nixon vs WR Ja’Marr Chase
Nixon has held his own thus far, but Green Bay’s new No. 1 corner will have his hands full this week. Chase is an elite wide receiver no matter who is throwing him the ball and will look to hit the ground running with his new quarterback now that Jake Browning is headed to the bench. Last week, he caught six passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-24 loss to the Detroit Lions, prompting the Bengals to trade for Flacco. Nixon has had a strong start to his season, culminating in a five-pass breakup performance against the Washington Commanders in Week 2, and this week will require another A+ performance. Nixon won’t be asked to follow Chase, but he needs to be at his absolute best whenever he is lined up across from him.
Edge Micah Parsons vs LT Orlando Brown Jr.
One thing Browning does have going for him over his replacement is young legs. However, mobility is an afterthought for a 40-year-old Flacco. The Packers sacked him twice in Week 3 and should get more opportunities on Sunday. His new left tackle has allowed four sacks and 17 pressures this season, which both rank among the top five worst among tackles. Parsons has sacked 25 different quarterbacks in his career, but that list doesn’t include Flacco. He wasn’t able to get him the first time, but maybe Week 6 will be a different story lining up across from Brown.
