Green Bay Packers get set for their second short week for the season. The buzz around the Packers has been growing by the day. People are starting to realize this team is dangerous with a strong defense and an offense that will wake up from their slumber at some point. Green Bay welcomes Philadelphia Eagles to town in a game that might matter a bit more to the Eagles than the Packers. Philadelphia has their backs up against the walls in this one. They could be looking at a 1-3 start if the Packers are able to beat them on Thursday night. Green Bay gets a Philadelphia team that isn’t very healthy. They have three cornerbacks right now healthy on their roster and missing key parts of the offense. Packers will look to take advantage of that all game long.

Three Storylines I Care About
1. Za’Darius Smith’s health – This became the biggest storyline of the week. Smith’s knee acted up during practice this week and has been listed as questionable for Thursday’s game. He is a beast, and it is very hard to keep him off the field yet Green Bay needs to be smart with him. Za’Darius is a monster and a key cog for this defense, yet I would rather have him healthy for the rest of the season versus playing tonight. If Smith cannot go, Packers will rely on Kyler Fackrell and Rashan Gary to provide the pass rush. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Mike Pettine dials up more blitzes to keep the pass rush alive.

2. Go off, Aaron Rodgers – On the Bill Simmons podcast this week, Kyle Brandt of the NFL Network said that ‘These first three games felt like preseason for Aaron Rodgers and this week should be his home opener.’ Brandt might be right with that comment. For the first time all year, Packers face a defense that isn’t part of the upper echelon. Rodgers’ opportunity to have a massive game tonight is very high. Philadelphia does not have much in their secondary, and Rodgers should be able to pick them apart. Don’t be surprised if we’re coming out of this game tomorrow talking about the performance of Rodgers.

3. Packers’ first opposing quarterback test – One of the things that will get mentioned leading up to this game is Packers defense taking on Carson Wentz. This is the first quarterback they’ve faced this season that is worth a damn. Wentz is an above-average to elite quarterback in the National Football League. If he has a big game versus the Packers, people will raise questions about how good this defense actually is even though this is a one-game sample.

Don’t Sleep On Em
Rashan Gary – This might be an easy answer, but with Smith’s potential injury, Gary could have a huge day. Jason Peters is a Hall of Fame left tackle, but we can all agree he isn’t the same player he once was in the early part of his career. The speed and stature of Gary might be too much for Peters to handle. Gary is definitely one of my players to watch tonight.

Prediction
I’ve been wavering back and forth with the Packers’ line. 4.5 points seems a bit high when you’re dealing with an Eagles team that is nearly in must-win mode with the games looming on their schedule. That said, they’re truly banged up and this might be the best time to face them all season. Packers are winning this game, but the backdoor is going to close on them late. Packers 28 Eagles 24.

Charlie.