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Green Bay Packers Have Slight Edge In Week 13 Game Against New England Patriots

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David Butler II - USA TODAY Sports

David Butler II – USA TODAY Sports

In a league riddled with parity and where no one or two teams truly stand out as runaway favorites to win the Super Bowl, making post-season assumptions is dangerous. So with that in mind, I’m not going to assume that either the Green Bay Packers or the New England Patriots are going to make it to the season’s last game, though the way they’re playing as of recent suggests they have a good chance.

These are two of football’s best teams and the similarities between them are profound. When it comes down to it, though, I’m going to give a slight (and I mean very slight) edge to the Packers in Week 13.

This game, featuring two of the best teams in their respective conferences (Patriots sit atop the AFC with a 9-2 record and the Packers are within striking distance of the NFC’s best record at 8-3), is a matchup between two of the most offensively dominant teams in the NFL.

New England and Green Bay are one and two in the league in points per game, respectively, and it’s no secret why. Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, both undoubtedly two of the league’s top three quarterbacks, are playing at a level that has them both in contention for the league’s MVP award.

As previously stated, these two offenses have more firepower than nearly any other team in the NFL, and the numbers they’ve put up are very similar. Striking similarities can be seen in each team’s average for points per game (Patriots 32.5, Packers 32.3,) yards per game (Patriots 386, Packers 369,) and pass yards per game (Patriots 272, Packers 262.) So, who has the edge?

It’s close to impossible to determine which team has a distinct edge in this game with so many numbers and factors simply canceling each other out. Brady has thrown six interceptions to Rodgers’ three, yet the Patriots have given up just 16 sacks while the Packers have given up 23. The Packers convert 45 percent of their third downs, the Patriots 44 percent. The Packers have a turnover ratio of +15, the Patriots +11. Each team, particularly on offense, is so solid all around that this is as close to a toss-up as you can get.

One clear advantage — perhaps the only one of note in the game — is that the Packers are at home, where they’re 5-0 this year and averaging 44 (yes, 44) points a game. For that reason (and for the fact that nothing else can help reach such a conclusion), I’d give the edge to Green Bay. Yet, if we’re lucky, we may see these two teams squaring up once more this season on Super Bowl Sunday.

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