Preview: Packers not complacent despite being big favorites over Jaguars

The Green Bay Packers are getting healthier and guarding against complacency before opening the second half of their season Sunday as two-touchdown favorites over the slumping Jacksonville Jaguars.

Green Bay (6-2) has withstood a series of injuries to lead the NFC North at the midway point of the season. Running back Aaron Jones (calf) came back last week after missing two games and Pro Bowl offensive tackle David Bakhtiari (chest) has practiced fully this week after sitting out three games.

The Packers share the NFC’s best record with New Orleans and Seattle.

“To be 6-2 right now with the injuries that we’ve had and the circumstances feels really good,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “We’re not going to relax or get complacent though. We’ve got a tough road ahead of us and some big dreams down the line.”

The Packers learned that lesson in their previous home game, as they fell 28-22 to a Minnesota Vikings team that had entered Lambeau Field with a 1-5 record. Rodgers said afterward that the Packers didn’t have the necessary energy for that game.

Jacksonville (1-7) is struggling even more than that Minnesota team was a couple of weeks ago.

The Jaguars are 13 1/2-point underdogs and have dropped seven straight games since opening the season with a 27-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. They’re allowing 418.1 yards per game, 6.4 yards per play and 30.9 points per game to rank 31st out of 32 NFL teams in each of those three categories.

“Obviously the statistics are poor,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. “That’s why we’re sitting where we are right now. We’re just going to keep trying to get those guys better.”

On offense, the Jaguars have benefited from an infusion of rookies.

James Robinson, an undrafted free agent from Illinois State, has rushed for 580 yards and has 27 catches for 225 yards. Laviska Shenault Jr., a second-round pick from Colorado, has 30 catches for 323 yards. Jake Luton, a sixth-round selection from Oregon State, made his first career start last week and threw for 304 yards with one touchdown pass and one touchdown run.

Luton says it will be “pretty surreal” matching up with Rodgers and called the two-time MVP “a wizard with the football in a lot of ways.” He will face a Green Bay secondary that could be missing star cornerback Jaire Alexander, who left the Packers’ 34-17 victory at San Francisco last week to get evaluated for a concussion.

“It’s somewhere I’ve dreamed of playing,” Luton said. “Lambeau Field is pretty historic, pretty awesome. It’d be real cool if it was rocking, a lot of people cheering against you. So, it’ll be a little different with it being empty, but I’m sure it’ll still be awesome.”

JAGUARS’ KICKING WHIRLWIND

Jaguars kicker Chase McLaughlin flew from Minneapolis to Jacksonville this week, only to end up back in the Midwest.

The Jaguars signed McLaughlin off Minnesota’s practice squad Tuesday and expect him to play in Green Bay after traveling nearly 3,000 miles and not getting to practice. McLaughlin has to spend several days going through COVID-19 protocols before joining teammates for a walkthrough Saturday.

He is the team’s sixth kicker this season, following Josh Lambo, Brandon Wright, Aldrick Rosas, Stephen Hauschka and Jon Brown.

CONTAINING ADAMS

Green Bay’s Davante Adams is off to the fastest start of his career. Even though he missed two games with a hamstring injury, Adams is tied for second among all NFL players with eight touchdown catches, one behind Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill.

RODGERS’ NEW STANDARD

Rodgers has thrown 24 touchdown passes with only two interceptions this season. His two interceptions both came in a road loss to Tampa Bay. Rodgers already is on the verge of surpassing his full-season touchdown pass totals from 2018 (25) and 2019 (26).

SCHOBERT COMES HOME

This game marks a homecoming of sorts for Jacksonville linebacker Joe Schobert, the Jaguars’ leading tackler.

Schobert is from Waukesha, Wisconsin, about 130 miles south of Green Bay. He began his college career as a walk-on at Wisconsin before earning Associated Press All-America second-team honors in 2015, his final year with the Badgers.

FORMER JAGUARS IN GREEN BAY

Green Bay’s roster includes a few people with ties to the Jaguars franchise.

Tight end Marcedes Lewis was drafted by the Jaguars in the first round in 2006 and played for Jacksonville through 2017.

The Packers signed wide receiver Allen Lazard from Jacksonville’s practice squad in December 2018. Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was Jacksonville’s quarterbacks coach in 2015-16 and offensive coordinator from 2016-18 before getting fired.

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JACKSONVILLE (1-7) at GREEN BAY (6-2)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox

OPENING LINE – Packers by 13 ½

RECORD VS. SPREAD – Jaguars 3-5, Packers 6-2

SERIES RECORD – Packers lead 4-2

LAST MEETING – Packers beat Jaguars 27-23 on Sept. 11, 2016, in Jacksonville

LAST WEEK – Jaguars lost to Texans 27-25; Packers won 34-17 at San Francisco

AP PRO32 RANKING – Jaguars No. 31, Packers No. 6.

JAGUARS OFFENSE – OVERALL (21), RUSH (27), PASS (18)

JAGUARS DEFENSE – OVERALL (31), RUSH (27), PASS (28)

PACKERS OFFENSE – OVERALL (7), RUSH (10), PASS (8)

PACKERS DEFENSE – OVERALL (11), RUSH (12), PASS (13)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES: The Jaguars are seeking to snap a seven-game skid. Jacksonville hasn’t won since beating Indianapolis 27-20 in its season opener. … Jacksonville rookie quarterback Jake Luton made his first career start last week and went 26 of 38 for 304 yards with one touchdown run and one touchdown pass. He became the first player since at least 1950 to have at least 300 yards passing, 25 completions and one rushing touchdown in his first career start. … Jacksonville also started rookies at running back (James Robinson) and receiver (Laviska Shenault Jr.) against Houston. Jacksonville is the only NFL team to start a rookie quarterback, running back and receiver in the same game this season. … Robinson has 805 yards from scrimmage (580 rushing, 225 receiving). The only Jaguars ever to accumulate more yards from scrimmage in their first eight career games are Leonard Fournette (896 in 2017) and Fred Taylor (842 in 1998). … Robinson’s seven touchdowns match Pittsburgh’s Chase Claypool for most total among NFL rookies. … Since becoming a full-time starter in 2017, Jaguars linebacker Joe Schobert has 440 tackles, the NFL’s third-highest total over that stretch. Schobert is from Waukesha, Wisconsin, about 130 miles south of Green Bay. … The Packers have won 11 of their last 13 regular-season games. … Green Bay is 6-2 midway through the season after going 7-1 through its first eight games last year. This marks the first time the Packers have started 6-2 or better in back-to-back seasons since 2001-02. … Green Bay has controlled the ball 33 minutes, 19 seconds, per game to lead all NFL teams in time of possession. … Green Bay’s Davante Adams is tied for second in the NFL with eight touchdown catches despite missing two games with a hamstring injury. Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill leads the NFL with nine touchdown receptions. … Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has thrown 24 touchdown passes this season. He is two away from matching his 2019 total and one away from his 2018 total. … Green Bay has scored 253 points, which represents the team’s second-highest total through the first eight games of a season. The Packers scored 275 points over their first eight games in 2011. … Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was Jacksonville’s quarterbacks coach from 2015-16 and offensive coordinator from 2016-18. … Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis played for Jacksonville from 2006-17. … Fantasy tip: Green Bay figures to have the lead through most of this one, which should enable Packers running back Aaron Jones to have a big day against Jacksonville’s suspect run defense.