Thursday Cheese Curds: Packers-Bucs may be decided in the trenches

After four weeks and a perfect 4-0 record, the Green Bay Packers are flying high on offense.

They are currently on pace to score the most points in franchise history and Aaron Rodgers is on track for a record-breaking season in his own right. That they’ve had so much success without Davante Adams speaks volumes about the group’s potential when their star receiver returns to the field.

All that said, they face a challenge on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. The matchup is naturally being billed as a quarterback duel between Rodgers and Tom Brady but the real intrigue is the battle between the Tampa Bay defensive line and Green Bay’s offensive line.

The Packers front five have done a remarkable job protecting Rodgers and currently rank first overall in pass-block win rate. The Buccaneers meanwhile rank first in pass-rushing win rate. The old “unstoppable force meets an immovable object” saying truly applies here.

This also presents a challenge for the Green Bay run game. Even with Vita Vea out for the year with a broken leg, Tampa Bay will present Aaron Jones with a monumental challenge. Jason Pierre-Paul is still a firecracker along the defensive line along with old nemesis Ndamukong Suh. Devin White, Lavonte David and Shaq Barrett make the second level of the Bucs’ defense just as scary as the line.

It’s going to be a fascinating battle to watch on Sunday and the battle in the trenches very well may determine who walks away victorious.

Packers’ running game will be put to the test by stingy Buccaneers defense—PackersNews.com

Jones is currently fifth in the league in rushing and plowing through the Tampa defense would serve notice that he’s on pace for another huge year. Matt LaFleur will have his hands full establishing any kind of ground game on Sunday.

Packers RB Aaron Jones still feels underrated: ‘Everything fuels me’—NFL.com

Running all over the Bucs would go a long way towards further establishing himself as one of the league’s elite running backs.

Timing would be good for Davante Adams’ return—Packers.com

Getting Davante Adams back would be a major boon for the Packers. Tampa Bay’s secondary can be had as long as Rodgers gets enough protection. Forcing the linebackers to play away from the line of scrimmage might be the best thing the Packers can do to help the offensive line.

Could A.J. Dillon help Packers’ struggles from the 1-yard line?—Packers Wire

DIIIILLLOOONNN doesn’t have the same ring as KUUUUHHHHNNNN but the big rookie back almost seems like too easy of a solution to the Packers’ goalline woes.

Blindfolded man smashes 50 coconuts around another man’s body—UPI

No thank you. I’d be too worried about my own coconuts getting smashed.