Five things to watch for in the Week 6 Sunday afternoon matchup when the Green Bay Packers (3-2) face the Miami Dolphins (2-2) at Sun Life Stadium:
In the past two games, Aaron Rodgers has completed more than 75 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. Rodgers' passer rating of 151.2 in Chicago was the second-best of his career, and he followed it up with a 138.7 passer rating against Minnesota. Neither of those Packers wins saw Rodgers throw for a significant amount of yards (302 vs. Bears and only 156 vs. Vikings), but he hasn't needed to. The efficiency -- even for an already incredibly efficient quarterback -- has been at an elite level.
Miami's defense should present a challenge to Rodgers' ability to continue playing this well. The Dolphins are coming off a bye and have had two weeks to prepare for Green Bay's offense. Miami is ranked 10th in the NFL in opposing quarterback passer rating, 9th in completion percentage allowed and 11th in sacks.
Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb have accounted for 68 percent of Green Bay's receiving yards this season. If the Dolphins are effectively able to take at least one of those two away, Davante Adams will have to step up. If teams begin to solve how to defend the Packers' passing game, Rodgers will be tested to have the success that he's had in recent weeks.
Throughout the first month of the season, Eddie Lacy averaged 3.0 yards per carry and looked nothing like the running back who ran his way to the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2013.
The version of Lacy that showed up to Lambeau Field last Thursday night in Week 5 was an improved version of the reigning Rookie of the Year. He rushed for 8.1 yards per carry, ran over defenders in the open field and bulldozed Robert Blanton with such force that the helmet of the Vikings safety popped off.
That will either be the game that's looked at as when Lacy got his groove back or it will just be a positive performance of an otherwise disappointing start to the season for him.
Miami is ranked 8th in the league in rushing yards allowed per carry and has several players performing well against the run. Linebackers Jelani Jenkins and Philip Wheeler, plus a collection of defensive linemen including Earl Mitchell and Jared Odrick are all rated very highly in the run-stopping category by ProFootballFocus.
At their current pace, Green Bay's defense will be on the field for more snaps this season than any defense in the history of the NFL. Part of that is a result of the Packers' offense scoring touchdowns so quickly on so many occasions that it brings the defense back out onto the field right away. Part of it is the result of drives that Green Bay allowed like the ones that concluded its loss in Detroit.
The Packers have been on the field for an average of 34 minutes, 6 seconds per game. That's the fourth-most in the NFL this season. The Dolphins' offense ranks 18th in time of possession.
Miami has a very good running attack and should have Knowshon Moreno back from injury to team with the emerging Lamar Miller. If the Dolphins' 5th-ranked rushing offense controls the clock against Green Bay's 32nd-ranked run defense, it could be another long afternoon on the field for the Packers' defense.
Green Bay's 16 quarterback hits against the Vikings were incredible.
"(That's) probably as productive of a pass rush as we've had in some time," head coach Mike McCarthy said this week. "When you talk about quarterback hits, 16, that's a big night."
The Packers have seen improved pressure on quarterbacks this season. They are ranked 7th in the league with 11 sacks and have ProFootballFocus' 9th-ranked pass rush.
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been sacked nine times through four games this season and is getting fairly good pass protection. Left tackle Brandon Albert has been very difficult for any defense to get around, only allowing one quarterback hit all season. Whether it's Clay Matthews or Julius Peppers lined up at right outside linebacker, it'll be a great matchup with Albert.
McCarthy "wouldn't be surprised if those opportunities came" for Brandon Bostick on Sunday. That was what McCarthy said less than 48 hours before kickoff. If Bostick does play on offense, it would be his first meaningful snaps all season. He's been on the field for just eight offensive plays, and seven of those came in Week 5 once the Packers had a 42-0 lead over Minnesota.
There's little question that Bostick is Green Bay's best receiving tight end, but he's yet to earn the trust of the coaching staff and has been stuck in a special teams role.
Meanwhile, the Packers' tight end group has taken a significant step back in receiving production after years of Jermichael Finley contributing well in that area. The tight ends this season (Andrew Quarless and Richard Rodgers) have just 12 combined catches, which accounts for 11 percent of the team's total receptions.
McCarthy has been pleased with Quarless and Rodgers, though.
"Offensively, Richard's doing some good things (and) I think Andrew Quarless frankly played one of his better games last week," McCarthy said. "I think those guys are doing a very good job getting better, blocking on the line of scrimmage."
Still, in order to give Aaron Rodgers more options to throw to, it would help the offense tremendously if one of the tight ends was able to produce as a receiver in Miami.
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