It's taken until this year for the Packers to finally become the last of the NFL's 32 teams to make the trip to the United Kingdom for an international contest. But on Sunday morning Green Bay will finally make its London debut when it faces the New York Giants, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers wants to put on a show.
Rodgers said he's thought about airing it out on some passes during the game to get the crowd invested, making big passing plays to give the international fans something to remember. He also joked that the performance aspect of the game isn't something he's talked with his coach about, saying he'd wait until Matt LaFleur was less stressed about the game-day preparations.
"Matt's kind of in a grumpy mood right now," Rodgers said, via the Associated Press. "When he gets a little bit of rest, he'll be in a better mood. We'll talk about airing it out a bit more."
Rodgers also debated whether he'd bring the classic Lambeau Leap across the Atlantic with him, jumping into the crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but said he might have to designate a teammate to perform the celebration in his stead.
"I might have to tag somebody in for me. I'm getting a little old for that," Rodgers said. "But I've got to see the wall, I don't know how high the wall is. If it's above maybe five feet, I'll probably let one of the linemen go."
While it's fun to joke about big plays and touchdown celebrations in a special matchup, the Packers nevertheless realize that Sunday's contest could be a grind-it-out sort of game, with both Green Bay and New York expected to utilize their run games early and often. New York leads the league in rushing offense so far this season, and Green Bay isn't far behind with the No. 7 rushing offense.
The Giants have relied on running back Saquon Barkley, and the fifth-year veteran has rewarded them with a league-leading 463 rushing yards. The Packers also call on their RB duo of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon for a good amount of offensive production, with the pair combining for 688 total yards as they split duties.
"Our backs are two of our best players, so we've got to get those guys involved," LaFleur said. "If you look at New York's defense situationally, they're one of the best in ball. Both in the red zone and on third down. So the running game can alleviate just some of the stress that gets put on you in those situations if you're not running the ball effectively."
With this matchup being the first NFL international game where both teams come in with winning records, we can hope for an entertaining game from both sides, no matter how the plays get distributed.
Nevertheless, Rodgers emphasized that this game will be special for not just the international fans in front of whom the teams are playing, but also for the players involved, who can feel the impact of the moment.
"We're excited to be here. And this is not just a normal road trip even though the coaches speak is always, 'Hey, we're here to win a game, yada yada yada,'" Rodgers said. "This is definitely more special. … This is one of those games I think at the end of your career when you think back on, it's going to be a special moment to be able to play in front of the fans here."
