Sunday’s matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars will feature teams at opposite ends of the spectrum.
The Packers have staked themselves out to a 6-2 record, while the Jaguars have lost seven in a row, and would find themselves picking second overall in the draft if the season ended today.
How might the gap in the standings impact preparation?
“I think the coaches have to be honest with the players,” said ESPN Wisconsin’s Mark Tauscher on Wisconsin’s Afternoon News. “Be honest and say if we do our job and are executing, we’re going to win this football game.”
Tauscher says, however, Green Bay’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings two weeks ago should serve as a cautionary tale.
“These are still professional players,” he said. “You can’t let these guys take things for granted. It’s the hardest thing in coaching.”
Meanwhile, head coach Matt LaFleur says he believes his team is mature enough to understand that.
“I think our guys understand what’s at stake each and every week. You can’t overlook anybody. We’re sitting right now at 6-2 and we’re tied for first in the NFC. We need to handle our business in order to stay where we’d like to stay, and that’s right on top.”
After their mini-bye, LaFleur says his team is ready for the second half of the season.
“I know we have, at a bare minimum, eight straight weeks. We gotta take it one day at a time, one game at a time, and I think everybody is excited to get back at it.”