Williams, Packers secondary making an impact

By GERY WOELFEL
The Green Bay Packers will be facing one of the NFL’s best young quarterbacks Sunday.
Correction: The Packers will be facing one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks – period.
In Drake Maye, the New England Patriots have a franchise-type quarterback. He proved that last season when he guided the Patriots to the Super Bowl.
Maye just might do the same this season. He’s thrown for 1,983 yards – the sixth most in the NFL — and 15 touchdowns – the eighth most in the league.
Maye has been exceptional lately. In the last four games, in which the 5-3 Patriots won four of them, Maye has thrown 11 touchdown passes with just two interceptions.
Keeping the 24-year-old Maye in check will be the Packers’ primary objective. Their secondary will have to bring its “A’’ game which, for the most part, has been the case this season.
One of the reasons the Packers secondary has performed at a high level is the sterling play of Evan Williams, the Packers’ third-year safety. Williams is playing at a Pro Bowl level and has the numbers to prove it.
Williams is not only the Packers’ leading tackler with 71, but he ranks eighth overall in the league. More impressively, Williams’ tackle total is the most of any player at his position.
The second-leading tackler among safeties is Dane Belton of the New York Jets. He has 68 tackles. The second-leading tackler among safeties in the NFC is Quentin Lake of the Los Angeles Rams with 56 – or 15 fewer tackles than Williams.
If Williams turns in another stellar showing and the rest of the Packers’ secondary plays like it has through the first eight games, Maye’s day at the office Sunday could be a rough one.
WHAT THE ODDSMAKES ARE SAYING: The Patriots are favored to win by 3 points.
WHAT GW IS SAHING: Packers 27, Patriots 20.