Writer: Gage O'Leary
Twitter: @Gage_Sports
Lions, Packers brutally beat down division rivals ahead of primetime clash:
The Lions and Green Bay Packers face off this weekend for what could be a war for the FINAL NFC playoff spot that could be up for grabs...
For the Packers, it's win and you're in after a massive 41-17 victory over the NFC North Champions, Minnesota Vikings. Aaron Rodgers was 15/24 for 159 yards, 6.6 average yards per pass and had a QBR of 42.0. The Packers rushing attack showed up to play this past weekend as Green Bay's 1-2 punch racked up 152 yards on the ground with Aaron Jones getting the majority of the yards and A.J Dillon scoring the Packers only rushing touchdown. The Green Bay Packers defense was the star of the show having put together 3 interceptions from Darnell Savage, Adrian Amos and Rudy Ford. Savage brought that interception out for a 75-yard pick 6 touchdown. Kenny Clark and Justin Hollins recorded the two Packers sacks and If you seen Sunday's game then you probably knew that I'd be giving a shout-out to the Green Bay special teams. Keisean Nixon returned a kick 105 yards to the house for a Packers touchdown and Mason Crosby was 2/2 on FG's and 5/5 on extra points. Green Bay played complementary football and it payed off with a blowout win against Minnesota.
Earlier that afternoon the Detroit Lions took care of business against another NFC North team. Detroit beat the Chicago Bears 41-10 and with the exception of the first quarter they were able to stop the bears X-Factor, Justin Fields while doing so. It looked like out of the gate that the Bears could make this game a shootout dispite being underdogs and they hoped to do that with their ground game, but although they scored on the opening drive Detroit's high powered offense answered back. Chicago would score a field goal to take a 10-7 lead but the Lions quickly took the lead back and they never gave it up again. Detroit ended up running up the score... Litteraly. RB D'Andre Swift looked like he was the closest he's been to 100% since week 1 vs the Eagles and Jaamal Williams did what he's been doing all year. The Lions 1-2 punch each combined for over 100 yards with Swift having 78 yards rushing & 39 yards receiving and Jaamal Williams rushed for a career high 144 yards, they combined for 3 Touchdowns... Like the Packers the Lions defense had a huge showing on defense Sunday led by their rookie pass rushers but I'm going to dive into that more specifically later on in the article. If the Lions want to beat the Packers on the road for a playoff spot they'll need to have that defensive performance this weekend.
Revisiting the Lions vs Packers matchup earlier this season:
The Packers want to leave the memory of their last battle vs the Lions in 2022 as we move onto 2023. Detroit beat the Packers at home 15-9 with a defensive gem, headlined again by their rookies, but don't get it twisted these are two very different and much better teams now then they were when they played earlier this season. Looking back at the game, one of the bigger headlines was Aidan Hutchinson getting his first career interception and Kerby Joseph getting his first TWO career interceptions in that game. Though Detroit only recorded one sack from Derrick Barnes, winning the turnover battle was a major key in the Lions win at home over Green Bay. The Packers didn't see James Houston however as he had not yet made his debut, Houston could live up to his nickname and be a problem for the Green Bay Packers this weekend. Both teams secondary played well, of course with the Lions taking the ball away three times but the Packers kept Goff under 200 yards and he had only 14 completions in that game. Both teams run defense played well too. Believe it or not, Aaron Rodgers was the teams LEADING rusher in that game with 40 yards. That doesn't happen... In the cold Detroit struggled mightily against the run vs Carolina. They are gonna be faced with a tough task going against Jones and Dillon but the Lions kept them at Bay once, they could possibly do it again this weekend. The Packers run defense kept the Lions rushing attack at 117 yards which is respectable, especially given the fact that the Lions have a top 5 offense as well as arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. Some people would argue that when healthy the Lions rushing attack is best in the NFL too. The previous matchup was a close one with both teams yet to be playing their best brand of football. The Packers needed just one play to go their way and the outcome could've been different. The Lions are NOT gonna do what they've done to many teams this season and blow out the Packers, certainly not at Lambeau field. In fact, I think Detroit should be considered underdogs coming into this weekend's regular season finale.
Lions vs Packers headlines:
Playoff berth:
The big headline is obviously the fight for a playoff berth on Sunday night. There is only ONE spot left in the NFC Playoff picture as the seven seed is up for grabs. Three teams are still alive for that final spot, The Lions, Packers and Seahawks. It's simple for Green Bay, win and you're in. The Lions and Seahawks however could control each other's fate. The Seahawks must lose on Sunday for the Lions to even have a chance on Sunday night. Meanwhile, the Seahawks must win their game against the Rams AND have the Lions beat the Green Bay Packers on SNF... Part of the NFL's dilemma as far as scheduling week 18 was whether or not they would have Lions vs Packers in primetime on Sunday night because if Seattle wins their game which starts at 4:25pm the Lions have nothing significant to play for. Bengals, Ravens and Titans, Jaguars were also in consideration for SNF.
Lions rookie pass rushers shattering records:
Aidan Hutchinson, James Houston and Josh Pascal combined for 5.5 sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Fumble Recovery, 1 interception, 11 tackles, 9 solo's and 5 QB hits... All this in ONE game... Lions GM Brad Holmes deserves a statue at Ford Field in my opinion. Not to disrespect Joshua Pascal, but I'm going to zero in on dynamic pass rush duo Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston because they are breaking records... They became the first rookie duo to EACH have 7+ sacks in a season. "He's everything we wanted" said head coach Dan Campbell on Aidan Hutchinson who made history of his own against the Bears after he came down with his 3rd interception of the year. Hutchinson is the only rookie defensive lineman in the history of the NFL to have 3 interceptions. James Houston became the first rookie pass rusher since Maxx Crosby in 2019 to have 3 sacks and a forced fumble in a single game. James Houston's 8 sacks in his first 6 career games is the most by a rookie in that span in the history of the National football league. I'm sure there's more impressive numbers these two Lions rookies have put up that I haven't uncovered but regardless they've been incredible this season and they deserve a lot of credit in the Lions turnaround from 1-6 to competing for a playoff berth on the biggest stage.
Wintery weather at the Frozen Tundra?:
Towards the end of the season you can usually expect brutally cold and some times snowy playing conditions at Lambeau field, I mean, it doesn't have the name "Frozen Tundra" for no reason... Green Bay, Wisconsin is expecting rain and snow on Tuesday and more rain and snow Wednesday and Thursday but as of now don't expect neither rain or snow on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. The Frozen Tundra is still living up to it's name as far as cold temps are concerned. With the game being added to Sunday night football, forecasts are saying it'll be around 24° degrees at kickoff. That gives the Packers a major advantage as Detroit plays and practices under a roof and as you saw when the Lions took on Carolina on the road in the Panthers coldest home game in history it didn't end well for Detroit. Temperatures in that game were below 10° degrees with wind chill as that's when the epic Christmas weekend snow storm struck the Midwest and affected other parts of the country.
Slaying the dragon:
Somewhat unexpectedly, Aaron Rodgers drama has resurfaced after he was asked about possibly playing in his final home game. I thought Rodgers was 100% committed to next season with the Packers but that doesn't appear to be the case. “Yeah, I mean, for sure,” Rodgers said. “Just ’cause you don’t know what the future holds. When I think about that, it’s nothing but gratitude. Not remorse or sadness. Just gratitude for the time that I’ve been here, the amazing memories that I’ve had on this field. A lot of great moments." The question itself caught me a little off guard but the answer to the question definitely surprised me. Unless I missed something I thought Rodgers was definitely gonna be back for 2023. “I’m still undecided—we’re all undecided about the future,” he continued. “Just gonna enjoy Sunday night and hopefully have some more to play for.” I'm sure this is just Aaron Rodgers saying Aaron Rodgers things as we've been down this road a lot in the last couple years... If he is going to retire possibly next season though, how amazing would it be for Detroit to slay the dragon if you will. I know he's probably gonna be back but if it's the Lions sending him out the door that would be incredible for Lions fans and the team itself. The Packers have run the north for years and a Lions win Sunday night keeps them out of the playoffs. Regardless of the Rams vs Seahawks result, there will be plenty to play for.
Keys to the game:
Detroit Lions:
Pressure Aaron Rodgers: The Packers look like a completely different team from a month ago or so... They bring with them a ton of momentum, to beat the Packers again on Sunday the Lions will have to do something they couldn't do the first time they clashed with the Packers, pressure Aaron Rodgers. As a team last week Detroit sacked Justin Fields SEVEN times. As mentioned earlier Detroit sacked Rodgers just once in that game earlier this season. James Houston is playing for the Lions now though and that's something the Packers didn't have to deal with the first time around. I feel for the Lions to pull off the upset James Houston will have to be the Lions most impactful player. They have to make Rodgers uncomfortable. Having Aidan Hutchinson, Romeo Okwara and Josh Pascal on the defensive line as well helps too.
Win the turnover battle: A huge part in the Lions 15-9 win vs Green Bay at home this season was winning the turnover battle. As mentioned earlier rookies Kerby Joseph and Aidan Hutchinson combined for 3 interceptions in that game. No two teams have been better in the past few weeks at the turnover battle than the Lions and Packers. This game could come down to who has the most takeaways. We could be looking at a game where whoever is the smartest team out there wins on Sunday night. It could be more important than being the more physical team or the more aggressive team. Don't turn the ball over... It's a must on Sunday night.
Execute on the ground: I mentioned earlier that the Lions struggled stopping the run vs the Panthers in the cold but their rushing attack offensively struggled horribly. Jared Goff, someone who rarley leaves the pocket, was Detroit's leading rusher at 15 yards in 3 attempts. As a team they rushed for only 45 yards, if that happens again this weekend than the Packers will walk away with the win in primetime.
Green Bay Packers:
Win the turnover battle: Basically everything I said about the Lions winning the turnover battle is the same for the Packers. The Packers in a 4 game span have taken the ball away an amazing 12 times, 9 interceptions and 3 fumbles. They now rank eighth in both turnover differential and takeaways after spending most of the 2022 season ranked in the bottom third of those categories. This has lead them to an improbable comeback after being written off a few weeks ago. I don't think anyone seen them clawing their way back into the playoff picture but now here they are controlling their own destiny. The Lions had a similar run with turnovers a couple weeks ago but it ended in the Panthers game. Detroit was able to regroup against the Bears as we know and now have their eyes on a playoff spot in Green Bay. Detroit has taken care of the ball extremely well in their turnaround from 1-6 to 8-8. The Packers can't be banking on free opportunities to score when they play Detroit this weekend.
Defense wins championships: The opportunity to play for a championship is on the line for the Packers this weekend and you know the old saying "defense wins championships". Detroit's high powered offense is a challenge for anyone. The Packers defense is quietly one of the best in the leauge. You never want to have to throw it in the direction of Jaire Alexander, the Packers X-Factor on defense, but usually he doesn't give you the opportunity to as he is one of the better lockdown corners in the leauge. They will be without star pass rusher Rashad Gary who tore his ACL against the Lions in week 9. Green Bay has plenty of talent that's been stepping up in his absence. Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt and Kingsley Enagbare are among the younger players to watch on Green Bay's defense with of course Kenny Clark always being one to watch upfront for the Packers. One thing that's a huge key if they want to win this game is to keep their old friend Jaamal Williams out of the EndZone.
Balance offensively: Detroit's defense is really really young and don't always stop both areas of the offense even when they're playing at their best. One of the keys for Detroit as mentioned is to pressure Rodgers, well the Packers in my opinion can't just lean on Aaron all night long and I don't believe they will. They have to come out with a balanced offense right out of the gate. The run game has to get going early for the Packers to fire on all cylinders. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon are a terrific 1-2 punch and they will need to have splashes from those two to have the edge throughout this game. One headline I left out was the matchup on the ground between these two. Both teams have an electric 1-2 punch, Jaamal Williams, the former Packer has been brilliant this year and D'Andre Swift is getting healthy at the right time. If like I said the Packers are efficient in both areas offensively I think their chances of winning sky rocket.
Lions vs Packers injury report:
Every day I'll come back and update the injury report. The Wednesday report has been released for each team and here's how it looks.
Detroit Lions:
WEDNESDAY:
Kayode Awosika, G, ankle, Did not participate.
Jason Cabinda, FB, knee, Did not participate.
Frank Ragnow, C, foot, Did not participate
Evan Brown, G/C, ankle, Limited
DeShon Elliot, S, shoulder, Limited
Justin Jackson, RB, full participation
THURSDAY: (* is newly listed)
Kayode Awosika, G, ankle, Did not participate.
*Michael Brockers, DL, ankle, Did not participate
Jason Cabinda, FB, knee, Limited
Frank Ragnow, C, foot, Did not participate
Evan Brown, G/C, ankle, Limited
DeShon Elliot, S, shoulder, Limited
Justin Jackson, RB, full participation
FRIDAY: (* is newly listed)
Kayode Awosika, G, ankle, OUT
Michael Brockers, DL, ankle, questionable
Jason Cabinda, FB, knee, questionable
Frank Ragnow, C, foot, questionable
Evan Brown, G/C, ankle, full participation
DeShon Elliot, S, shoulder, questionable
*Jeff Okudah, CB, elbow, questionable
Justin Jackson, RB, full participation
Green Bay Packers:
WEDNESDAY:
Aaron Rodgers, QB, thumb/knee, Did not participate
David Bakhtiari, T, knee/abdomen, Limited
Rudy Ford, S, wrist/knee, full participation
Elgton Jenkins, G/T, knee, Limited
Aaron Jones, RB, knee/ankle, Limited
Yosh Nijman, T, shoulder, Limited
Keisean Nixon, CB, groin, Limited
Christian Watson, WR, hip, Limited
THURSDAY: (* is newly listed)
Aaron Rodgers, QB, thumb/knee, full participation
*Krys Barnes, LB, hand, full participation
*Josiah Deguara, TE, calf, Did not participate
David Bakhtiari, T, knee/abdomen, Limited
Rudy Ford, S, wrist/knee, full participation
Elgton Jenkins, G/T, knee, Limited
Aaron Jones, RB, knee/ankle, Limited
*Mercedes Lewis, TE, vet rest, Did not participate
Yosh Nijman, T, shoulder, Limited
Keisean Nixon, CB, groin, Limited
Christian Watson, WR, hip, Limited
FRIDAY:
Aaron Rodgers, QB, thumb/knee, full participation
Krys Barnes, LB, hand, full participation
Josiah Deguara, TE, calf, questionable
David Bakhtiari, T, knee/abdomen, Limited
Rudy Ford, S, wrist/knee, full participation
Elgton Jenkins, G/T, knee, Limited
Aaron Jones, RB, knee/ankle, Limited
Mercedes Lewis, TE, vet rest, full participation
Yosh Nijman, T, shoulder, full participation
Keisean Nixon, CB, groin, Limited
Christian Watson, WR, hip, Limited
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