Packers Keys to the Game (Dec. 27)

The Green Bay Packers (11-3) host the Tennessee Titans (10-4) at 7:20 p.m., Dec. 27 at Lambeau Field. NBC televises the game.

Coaches

Green Bay — Matt LaFleur, second season (24-6). Tennessee — Mike Vrabel, third season (28-18).

History

Titans lead 7-5, including wins in four of the last five matchups. Tennessee won 47-25 on Nov. 13, 2016. DeMarco Murray stated the game with a 75-yard touchdown run and added a touchdown pass as Tennessee scored 35 points in the first half.

When the Packers have the ball

Green Bay is No. 2 in the NFL in scoring. Tennessee is No. 20 in scoring defense. The Packers’ passing attack sputtered against Carolina but could find success against Tennessee.

The Titans are at or near the bottom of the league in third down, red zone and sack percentage. Green Bay’s offense, on the other hand, is third on third down and first in the red zone.

The Titans’ 3-4 scheme has Jack Crawford, DaQuan Jones and Jeffery Simmons on the defensive line. Simmons, who battled Packers lineman Elgton Jenkins on the practice field at Mississippi State, is the standout with three sacks and 10 quarterback hits.

Harold Landry and Derick Roberson are the outside linebackers. Rashaan Evans and Will Compton are the inside linebackers. There’s been a key injury at each position.

Landry has a team-high 4.5 sacks. Roberson is playing for Jadeveon Clowney, who is out with a season-ending knee injury. Evans is second on the team with 79 tackles. Compton is playing for Jayon Brown, who was the team’s leader in tackles until suffering a season-ending elbow injury last month.

Malcolm Butler and Tye Smith are the corners and Desmond King mans the slot. Butler is the playmaker with three interceptions and 13 passes defensed. On Dec. 20, Detroit Lions receiver Marvin Jones caught 10-of-12 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown against the Titans.

Kevin Byard, Kenny Vaccaro and Amani Hooker are the safeties. Byard is an elite player. He has a team-high 87 tackles. While he doesn’t have an interception this season, he had 17 the past three seasons combined. Hooker has three interceptions.

When the Titans have the ball

Tennessee is No. 1 in the NFL in scoring. Green Bay is No. 14 in scoring defense.

The matchup is an obvious one: Tennessee workhorse running back Derrick Henry against Green Bay’s run defense. Henry is 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds. That makes him bigger than linebackers Christian Kirksey (6-2, 235), Kamal Martin (6-3, 240) and Krys Barnes (6-2, 229).

Henry has dominated, just like he did in carrying the Titans to the AFC Championship Game last season. He leads the NFL with 1,679 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns, including 147 yards on 24 tries against Detroit. He averages 5.2 yards per carry. He’s a menacing runner with the power to bull through defenders, a wicked stiff-arm and breakaway speed.

“Very violently and angry. He is a beast and you can see it,” said LaFleur, who was the Titans’ offensive coordinator in 2018.

Green Bay’s run defense has played better of late but it’s not faced anyone like Henry.

“I just think there’s been a big-time emphasis on the run game,” LaFleur said. “Our guys have taken that to heart, they’ve taken the challenge. I think we’ve done a much better job of coaching the run fits and being sound in the run game, and we’re going to have to continue to do that. I think this week it’s going to have to be a great game in terms of our ability to swarm and gang tackle, because this guy is a load.”

The problem is teams that focus on Henry can get filleted by quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill is fourth in the NFL with a 110.4 passer rating. He’s got 31 touchdowns vs. five interceptions.

A.J. Brown and Corey Davis are big-play receivers. Brown, who caught 52 passes for 1,051 yards (20.2 average) as a rookie last year, has 56 receptions for 881 yards (15.7) and 10 touchdowns in 12 games this year. Davis leads the team with 60 receptions for 945 yards (15.8).

Tight end Jonnu Smith has turned seven of his 37 receptions into touchdowns.

Much like Aaron Rodgers, Tannehill thrives on play-action passes and deep shots. Rodgers is No. 1 with 18 play-action touchdowns; Tannehill is No. 1 with 10.1 yards per play-action attempt.

Left tackle David Quessenberry, left guard Rodger Saffold, center Ben Jones, right guard Nate Davis and right tackle Dennis Kelly form an unheralded line. Quessenberry, a cancer survivor, is playing for Taylor Lewan, who is out with a torn ACL. Jones is a high-quality starter. He’s the weak link.

Special teams

Veteran kickers are the standouts. For Green Bay, Mason Crosby is 16-of-16 on field goals, with clutch field goals of 57 and 51 yards the past two weeks.

“For us to accomplish the goals that we have in front of us, he needs to continue to do that and got all the confidence in the world that he will,” LaFleur said of his kicker, who ranks 20th in NFL history in scoring.

Stephen Gostkowski, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, is just 17-of-25 on field goals. Oddly, he’s 5-of-10 from 40 to 49 yards but 7-of-8 from 50-plus yards. He ranks 11th in NFL history in scoring.

The Packers’ beleaguered special teams turned in one of their better performances of the season against Carolina and its excellent tandem of returners. There’s a chance to build some momentum because Tennessee’s Kalif Raymond is averaging just 18.3 yards per kickoff return and 9.0 yards per punt return. Veteran punter Brett Kern is having a typically strong season with a net average of 41.8 yards.