GREEN BAY, Wis. — For the first time since 2017, the Packers and Cincinnati Bengals will play at Lambeau Field. The last two times these franchises faced off, the Pack won in overtime.
For the Packers, playing at home this season has meant a 2-0 record and scoring 27 points in winning each game decisively. Packers quarterback Jordan Love said they are locked in coming off the bye week and focused on taking it one game at a time.
“Everybody’s good, so it’s going to find a way to come down to that fourth quarter, the last six minutes of the game every time,” said Love. “When you get those opportunities, you got to capitalize and try to put teams away and not even make it close to the end.”
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There are advantages to playing at home. Packers guard Aaron Banks and running back Josh Jacob both said it makes it easier to communicate and feel comfortable.
“Anytime you can play at home, it’s huge,” said Banks. “You go on the road, you go to silent cadence, you got the crowd that the defense has, the crowd behind them. There’s a lot of elements to that,” Banks said. “So, any time you can play at home, I think it’s really helpful, you can use verbal cadence. You can do a lot that, you know, maybe a little bit more difficult road.”
“But the best thing is obviously getting a win in front of a crowd, but being able to go home right after is also a big positive,” said Jacobs.
Packers defensive end Micah Parsons only had days to prepare after being traded prior to week one. After the bye, he said he feels much more comfortable with the playbook and his new teammates.
(Spectrum News 1/Geno Perez)
“We all have built a stable relationship now and now it’s just like we’re comfortable each other,” said Parsons. “We kind of know what to expect from each other and then after we know the standard. How we need to play what it looks like. I’m ready for us to bounce back week because our last performance wasn’t great.”
The Packers cannot get too comfortable at home because they will be on the road for the next two weeks. That’s why they want to make the most of Sunday in front of their home fans.
