Week 1 of the NFL has ended and after a long anticipated season kickoff it's time to look ahead to week 2, which will be headlined by three primetime games. Giants vs Washington, Ravens vs Chiefs and Lions vs Packers on MNF. The Raiders out dueled the Ravens in a 33-27 victory on MNF this week in OT. Now two heated rivals are set to meet on week 2's addition of Monday Night Football. Lions and Packers have dealt with some controversy when they play each other and that has built a rivalry bigger than people realize. Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers was in the middle of off-season drama and his first game coming off that long off-season the Packers were demolished in a 38-3 loss against the Saints. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game that the Saints embarrassed his team. The Lions nearly pulled off a historic comback against the 49ers on Sunday after they trailed 41-17 with two minutes left to play. The final score was 41-33. Rodgers had the worst statistical game of his career. But, Rodgers will have a unique opportunity to bounce back as his Packers face the worst defense in the NFL... The Lions have had the worst defense ever since Matt Patricia's tenor. They currently are really short handed in the secondary and have a weak LB room. But, GM Brad Holmes and HC Dan Campbell has aided the trenches with Levi Onwuzerike, Romeo Okwara, Alim McNeil, Michael Brockers, Julian Okwara. So you would think Rodgers will certainly run through this defense but that just hasn't been the case. Since 2010, 9 Lions vs Packers games have been decided by 4 points or fewer. This is were your gonna learn about the Lions and Packers rivalry.
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Blown calls cost Lions game after game against their biggest rival...
You can't sit through a Packers, Lions game without what seems like dozens of missed calls specifically in key moments in the game. in 2019 A Monday night football game between these two ended with major controversy... (Keep in mind this wasn't the first game that this has happened to Detroit when playing the Packers) The Lions defense had just made a fantastic play that would win them the game, but wait there is a flag. DE Trey Flowers was called for a facemask penalty on the play which gave the Packers a pulse down by 2. Wait... Not only did the replay show that Flowers play was completely legal, but Packers OT David Bahktiari actually committed the penalty that Flowers was called for. But, Green Bay still had to get in field goal position. there is another huge play by the Lions that should be the cherry on top. Oh wait there's another flag. It was Flowers being called for the exact same penalty and to no Lions fans surprise the replay showed again that Flowers made a completely legal play. That flag set up Mason Crosby for a game winning FG Kick and it cost the Lions a MNF victory against their biggest rival. It wasn't the only blown call in the game that hurt the Lions but, those facemasks calls did them in (One of the penaltys that Flowers was called for and proof that Bakhtiari was the one that clearly committed the penalty)
Some Players and Analyst even addressed the controversy including former Packers star Clay Matthews who had this to say...
______ More Players/Analyst takes on the controversy... Brad Galli... Trey Flowers was still in his pads when reporters were let into the Lions locker room. He said he did not commit a penalty. Flowers demonstrated where he grabs at the pads and said he’s done that his entire career and throughout the game. ____ Former NFL Head Coach Tony Dungy: The bogus personal foul and the non call Pass Interference was six more points. Four wrong calls is hard to imagine. ____ Former Lions RB Barry Sanders: That is sickening... the @NFL neds t lok t a way to prevent that from happening. Two phantom hands to the face calls really hurts us tonight. Yes, we could have scored TDs, but @Lions played too well to have the game end this way. #DETvsGB @espn ____ Former Packers and Lions OL TJ Lang: In my 11 years involved with the NFL, I’ve never seen worse officiating than this year and it’s not even close. ____ Former NFL Head Coah Jack Del Rio: 🤬4 major blown calls tonight , all four went against the Lions. DB going for the INT called for Unnecessary Roughness. A non call on a blatant DPI . Then two ridiculous calls for hands to the face. Refs can’t guess and can’t get these wrong. Lions would’ve won by 2 scores @NFL _____ FS1 Personality Skip Bayless: Obviously Trey Flowers twice got called for illegal hands to the face in the 4th q - and neither time did his hand touch face or neck. Second one helped cost Detroit the game. Such an embarrassment on the Monday Night stage. _____ You might as well throw gasoline on a already huge fire. Problem is it wasn't the first time, wasn't the last and probably won't be the last. Also: the Packers already have a way better roster than Detroit in the first place. So why would they need help to beat them?. In last seasons Lions and Packers game in Detroit, multiple bogus calls decided the outcome and again Green Bay was handed a win. Something that is clear is blood will be boiling on Monday when these two meet again. ___ Record: Packers 104-72-7 Record: Lions 72-104-7 Played first game against each other in 1930... In 2018 the Lions beat the Packers 31-0... ____
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