GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The Green Bay Packers have lost each of the last two years against the Detroit Lions in Ford Field. Packer fans, can you imagine if the boys wouldn’t come back home across Lake Michigan victorious until the 2044 season? A 24 year span, really? That’s what the Lions had to endure on Wisconsin soil. They won in Lambeau Field in 1991, Lindy Infante’s fateful final season. It would take them until 2015 to do it again. You thought Aaron Rodgers three days in a darkness retreat might be tough to handle, how about the Detroit Lions spending four straight years in the dark basement of the NFC North Division? Aside from breaking through against the Packers in Titletown in recent years, they also emerged from the Black and Blue cellar last season, coming in a distant second to the Vikings and more importantly for their ego, one game better than Green Bay. Now two years and three games into his tenure, Head Coach Dan Campbell has changed the culture in the Motor City, the roar has been restored and here they come, with a chance to take the division lead a quarter of the way through the season. If the Lions reach the finish line atop the heap, it would be their first NFC North crown in exactly 30 years.
Can this new, young version of the Packers crack a whip and fend off these Lions with a chair to reclaim division bragging rights, even for a week? Amazon Prime subscribers are in for a spirited football game Thursday night at Lambeau Field, kicking off at 7:15 PM.
When the Packers have the ball.
This might be the week Christian Watson debuts and Aaron Jones returns. The hamstring boys are both questionable but would provide a big lift to an offense that took 45 minutes to get rolling just four days ago. While the perimeter appears ready for reinforcements, the same can’t be said for the offensive line as both Elgton Jenkins and David Bakhtiari have both been ruled out. Rasheed Walker and Royce Newman will handle the left side and I have a pretty good idea Detroit’s best defensive player will be lining opposite those two. 2022 first round draft pick Aidan Hutchinson is the engine in the Motor City defense after speed rushing his way to Detroit from Michigan’s Big House in Ann Arbor. He’s a relentless edge rusher that the rest of the unit feeds off of. They had a feeding frenzy against Atlanta’s well regarded offensive line last week, piling up 7 sacks. This year’s second round draft choice, safety Brian Branch from Alabama is also impressing early, already owner of a 50 yard pick six in his first three games. Thankfully, the scheme deployed by Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn is very similar to the box crowding, attacking defenses Jordan Love has operated against the past two weeks with the Falcons and the Saints. Simply hammering away inside with A.J. Dillon couldn’t loosen up press man coverages outside, but repetitive deep shots finally paid off with either flags or contested catches. Watson’s return, even if not targeted, can stretch the top of the secondary to create space underneath and if Jones is part of the route tree, or even Luke Musgrave, big plays might be created after the catch. The Pack’s line has been better with protection than hole creation and if Hutchinson is neutralized, it won’t take Love to get in two minute mode to move the ball and put up points. Cutting down if not eliminating the bevy of pre-snap or holding penalties and better communication (i.e. 4th down sanfus) will go a long way toward a lot more than 18 points.
When the Lions have the ball.
This is a fantasy football fan’s dream when Detroit plays indoors. They have a home run hitting offense with Jared Goff at the controls. Even though Matthew Stafford and the Rams got to a Super Bowl after the straight up QB deal, Goff and the Lions may have gotten the better end of that deal. He’s played steady ball with a first rate, first round offensive line in front of him and the better of the St. Brown brothers at receiver. Taylor Decker in 2016, Frank Ragnow in 2018 and Penei Sewell in 2021 were all quality big man picks. Amon-Ra St. Brown is far better than his one time Packer big brother Equanimeous, now in Chicago. St. Brown pulled down 106 balls last year and if too much attention is paid to him, Marvin Jones Jr. has returned after a hiatus in Jacksonville and he can still run. The Lions swapped out their running back room of DeAndre Swift and Jamaal Williams in favor of former Bear David Montgomery and first round draft pick Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery has nursed injuries early this season but Gibbs has flashed solid, every down potential. Like the Packers, Detroit is dealing with injuries up front on their right side. It was a much more spirited defensive showing against New Orleans and the Packers will need to carry that over. If Jaire Alexander returns from a back injury, the secondary should hold up. Goff, like the Saints did with Chris Olave last week, will try to exploit a St. Brown matchup with Carrington Valentine for Corey Ballentine. The Lions averaged nearly 30 points a game at home a year ago but the Packer defense held Detroit to 35 points in two meetings last season, and still got swept. Oh, and Rashan Gary’s season ended against these guys a 1o months ago. A hat trick of sacks last Sunday only whetted his appetite for more.
The bottom line.
As you might expect from a very young club, there have been big swings from week to week so far. Looking forward to seeing how they handle a short week off the big high from the rally last time out. Grabbing the division lead at the quarter pole is something very few could have expected but I think that’s just how it will play out before the calendar hits October.
I like the Pack 23-20.
