3 key matchups to watch in Week 8

The Green Bay Packers are back on the road this week and will face the 2-5 Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Packers are currently on a three-game winning streak and are the clear favorites, but they shouldn’t discount an opponent that poses some potential problems.
After an 0-4 start, the Jaguars are playing their best ball of the season and have won two of their last three games. Jacksonville had its best performance of the year last week in a 32-16 victory over the New England Patriots in London.

While Green Bay is still expected to win, no team should be taken lightly, especially one with as many offensive weapons as the Jaguars.

If they hope to maintain their winning streak, the Packers will need to compete in these three key games:

CB Jaire Alexander vs. WR Brian Thomas Jr.

Ahead of the highly anticipated Week 7 matchup, there has been a lot of talk between Alexander and Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs. But Green Bay’s starting corner confirmed this early in the game, not allowing Diggs to catch a single pass against his coverage. Alexander has looked like a shutdown corner lately, but now faces a unique challenge against the NFL’s most productive rookie receiver. Thomas leads all rookies with 513 receiving yards and is tied with Marvin Harrison Jr. with four touchdowns. The rookie has been a great addition to the Jacksonville offense, but will be tested both mentally and physically on Sunday. Can Alexander get under the rookie’s skin and deliver another shutdown performance? We’ll see.

WR Romeo Doubs vs. CB Tyson Campbell

Let’s take a look at another WR-CB matchup that will be fun to watch this week. Since his one-match suspension, Doubs has responded with two really good performances. In wins over the Cardinals and Texans, he led the team in every major receiving category, with 11 receptions on 14 targets for 143 yards, nine first downs and two touchdowns. While Doubs hopes to remain a focal point of attack, it won’t be easy when he faces Campbell. The Jaguars’ top corner returned to the lineup last week after missing four games with a hamstring injury. Campbell doesn’t allow many catches, and when he does, the damage is minimal.

Green Bay’s tackles against Jacksonville’s edge rushers

The Jaguars have one of the best edge pass rushing duos in the NFL in Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. Both are among the top 15 edge rushers in quarterback pressure and have combined for 8.5 sacks this season. It’s safe to say that both pose a big challenge for Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker. Tom played at a Pro Bowl level in 2024 but has had some issues in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Walker has been solid at the left tackle position this year, but suffered a sack and three pressures last week. The Packers will need their tackles to block the edges on Sunday, giving Jordan Love plenty of time to expose the Jaguars’ 31st-ranked pass defense.