1 - Micah Hyde gets the ultimate respect from former head coach
Coming out of college, Micah Hyde was a player without a position. He played cornerback and safety at Iowa, and while he played well at both positions, NFL teams were not sure if his game would translate to the professional level. The Green Bay Packers took a flier on Hyde in the fifth round of the 2013 draft.
The Packers knew that they were getting a talented and versatile player in Hyde. They likely didn't think that they were landing a player who would make an impact on defense for four years.
Hyde missed only one game throughout his four years with the Packers, starting 33 games and seeing time at cornerback, nickel, safety, and even edge rusher. Green Bay decided against offering Hyde an extension after the conclusion of the 2016 season, prompting Hyde to sign a five-year deal with the Bills in the 2017 offseason.
Starting at strong safety in Buffalo, Hyde established himself as one of the best defensive backs in the league in 2017, recording five interceptions and earning a spot in the Pro Bowl.
Hyde will return to Green Bay for the first time since parting ways with the team this weekend when the Bills take on the Packers. Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy still respects Hyde as both a player and a person.
"Micah Hyde is a stud," McCarthy said. "I have the ultimate respect for him as a man and as a football player. He's doing a heck of a job up there. I'm very proud of him."
Letting Hyde walk was not an easy decision for McCarthy to make.
"[Hyde's respect for the Packers] speaks volumes to his experience here, and that's how I'll remember him," McCarthy said. "But you have a business aspect to this."
2 - Lorenzo Alexander on how Bills will stop Aaron Rodgers
The Bills completely shut down a highly-paid NFC North quarterback in Week 3. They'll look to accomplish the same feat in Week 4.
In Buffalo's Week 3 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, the team's defensive line pressured Kirk Cousins early and often. Defensive end Jerry Hughes led the way, recording one sack and 10 quarterback pressures. Buffalo's front seven combined for four sacks and five quarterback hits on the day.
The Bills' defensive line will look to carry its momentum into Week 4. Buffalo's defense will attempt to contain two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers this weekend. While he realizes that it won't be an easy task, Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander thinks that Buffalo's defense will find success if they are able to get consistent pressure on Rodgers.
"It's simple," Alexander said. "It's simple like with any great quarterback - you get to him. You've got to hit him, and that's why we're going to put the onus on the front as far as trying to duplicate the performance we had last week.
"Obviously, it's a new group, they're not going to want to come out and allow us to come out and do the same thing. Just working this week, getting our keys, our tips, getting some tendencies, really working on our fundamentals and technique, and making sure that we're coming at him with waves."
3 - PFF previews Bills vs. Packers
The Bills are coming off of a shocking Week 3 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Buffalo will look to ride this momentum into Week 4 and upset yet another NFC North foe.
The Bills will take on the 1-1-1 Packers at Lambeau Field this weekend. Pro Football Focus does not feel as though another upset is out of the question.
The outlet thinks that Buffalo should give running back Chris Ivory more carries. In Week 3, Ivory ran for 56 yards on 20 carries. He also caught three passes for 70 yards.
In limited work, Chris Ivory has filled in admirably for LeSean McCoy this season and could be deserving of more carries going forward. Through three weeks, Ivory has forced more missed tackles and is producing 1.83 more yards after contact per attempt on average than McCoy. Going into Week 4, Ivory's overall grade is 78.0, fifth-best among running backs.
Pressuring Aaron Rodgers is something that PFF thinks that Buffalo can and will do on Sunday. According to the outlet, Buffalo's defensive line has been one of the league's best through three games.
Through three weeks, the Bills have fielded the most productive pass-rushing corps in the NFL. Their edge defenders alone have produced 45 quarterback pressures, which is tied for the most among defenses.
If Rodgers is able to get the ball off this weekend, he likely won't target cornerback Tre'Davious White. Per PFF, White has been a lockdown corner in 2018.
_Tre'Davious White has continued his stellar rookie campaign into his second season with the Bills. Through three weeks, White ranks second in yards allowed per coverage snap at 0.22, and his 61.8 passer rating allowed while in coverage is the league's 14th-best mark.
