The Packers defense knows what’s coming from the run-oriented Giants — but can the unit stop it?

JASON WILDE For the State Journal

GREEN BAY — One of Matt LaFleur’s favorite zingers when a reporter’s query hits a little too close to home is to jokingly accuse the media of trying to provide the upcoming opponent with valuable intel.

In fact, shortly after arriving in London for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Green Bay Packers fourth-year coach went back to his favorite conversational well from halfway around the world after discussing his team’s schedule for its three days in London.

Scott Ferrall and Mike Carver discuss the Giants and Packers.

“See, you guys have tricked me into giving our whole game plan out,” he said with a smile before the team’s final practice of the week at The Grove luxury hotel.

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Moments before, though, LaFleur essentially had given out the Giants’ entire offensive game plan — or at least how coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will clearly have to approach the game.

Because with two of their top wide receivers (Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney) sidelined by injuries and quarterback Daniel Jones set to play despite a painful ankle injury, LaFleur stated the obvious aloud: The Giants —the only team in the NFL averaging more yards per rush than pass — are going to run the football. A lot.

“I think it’s going to be one of the keys to the game,” LaFleur opined. “Especially when you look at it from New York’s perspective, in terms of some of the adversity they’re facing from an offensive standpoint, obviously missing some key pieces and then Daniel Jones (being) a little banged up right now.

“That’s the No. 1 rushing unit in all of ball. So, it’s going to be absolutely critical.”

That’s hardly revelatory, as Giants running back Saquon Barkley enters the game leading the NFL in carries (84) and rushing yards (463) and 10th in yards per carry (5.5).

“He’s the best in our business right now, statistically,” Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry said. “He’s just an all-around complete back. It’s got to be a collective group effort this week because you can’t tackle that guy with one person.”

In turn, the Giants lead the NFL in rushing yards per game (192.5) and are second in the 32-team league in yards per carry (5.7). Only the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears have run the ball more often than the Giants have this season.

“Coaches are creatures of habit, even more than players. Anytime there’s a minute adjustment to the schedule, it throws them all out of whack,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets to exaggerate his point.

Meanwhile, the Packers enter the game ranked 22nd in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (126.8) and 22nd in yards allowed per carry (4.97).

Those numbers are somehow worse than last year, when the Packers were a misleading 11th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (109.1) but 30th in yards allowed per attempt (4.7). Only the Pittsburgh Steelers (4.99) and Kansas City Chiefs (4.77) were worse against the run on a per-play basis.

It’s been bad enough that some have wondered if Barry really cares all that much about stopping the run.

“As far as far as our philosophy and our individual mindset, I think it always starts with stopping the run,” Barry responded. “If an offensive coach was standing up here, he’d say the same thing. Everything that they do starts with getting the run game going.

“No matter what kind of scheme or philosophy or principles that you play coverage-wise, especially on early downs, it’s always going to start with stopping the run. There’s no doubt about it. That’s always been my philosophy, no matter what system I ever worked in. That will always be my belief.”

Still, even LaFleur himself went to Barry during last week’s win over the New England Patriots and suggested he come out of his preferred defensive look — with two high safeties aligned to prevent the big play — and bring one safety down into the box to slow down the Patriots’ run game.

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Down to their third-string quarterback Bailey Zappe, Patriots coach Bill Belichick clearly didn’t want to ask Zappe to do too much. Instead, New England ran the ball 33 times (compared to 21 pass attempts) with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson combining for 152 rushing yards against a Packers defense that had to know what was coming.

To be fair, on New England’s final three offensive possessions in the fourth quarter and overtime, the Packers defense allowed only 18 yards rushing on six attempts. The Patriots went three-and-out on all three drives.

Still, it marked the second time this season when an opposing offense’s plan was blatantly obvious, and the Packers still couldn’t stop the run.

In a Week 2 win over Chicago, the Packers watched as the Bears racked up 180 rushing yards on 27 attempts (a 6.7-yard average) even though Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, a former Packers assistant, clearly wanted to put the ball in running back David Montgomery’s hands rather than quarterback Justin Fields’. Montgomery finished with 122 yards on only 15 carries.

“This is something I’ve talked to Joe about in terms of just as much as possible, we like to hold a two-shell and sometimes we might have to come out of it, especially if we are fairly confident a team is going to run the ball,” LaFleur said. “I just said that in certain situations you might have to put an extra defender in the box.”

Because keeping the safeties back — even if one of them comes down late to provide run support shortly before the snap — is part of creating the umbrella that prevents big plays and is a core value of the defensive scheme, LaFleur doesn’t want Barry to change his philosophy entirely.

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It’s just that in the time it takes for one safety to come down into the box in run support just before the snap, the defense is already in catch-up mode.

“One thing I love about our defense is we do hold the shell for the majority of the time (before the ball is snapped), and it makes it a little more difficult for quarterbacks to ID what you’re trying to do from a coverage standpoint,” LaFleur explained. “But at the same time, when it is single-high and you’re holding a two-shell (look), your guy is a little bit later to get there in the run support. So, there may be a time or two where we have to break it in order to get an extra guy up in there.”

Against this run-reliant Giants team, this might be the day to do it.

“I know we can be better, and we will be better,” LaFleur said. “We have to be better, quite frankly.”

NOTES: The Giants elevated quarterback Davis Webb from the practice squad on Saturday to serve as a backup to Jones against the Packers. Tyrod Taylor has been the second choice but he got a concussion in last Sunday’s 20-12 win over the Chicago Bears and was ruled out Friday. The Giants also activated wide receiver Marcus Johnson and signed safety Tony Jefferson to the 53-man roster. The 27-year-old Webb has never thrown a pass in an NFL game. He spent the past three seasons on the practice squad in Buffalo, where now-Giants coach Brian Daboll was the offensive coordinator.

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