Three Days to Kickoff: Three Reasons to Worry vs. Lions
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers recovered from a slow start to crush the Detroit Lions in Week 2. With their top-ranked scoring offense facing Detroit’s No. 31-ranked scoring defense, the Packers are 7.5-point favorites at Westgate SuperBook and William Hill.
Still, there are reasons to believe the Lions will be tough to tame.
1. Ford Field
It’s never easy in Detroit. In fact, you’ve got to go back to 2011 to find a comfortable Packers victory.
The Packers won last year’s finale 23-20 but trailed 17-3 at halftime and never led until Mason Crosby’s field goal as time expired. Green Bay lost in 2018 and got crushed without Aaron Rodgers in 2017. It completed its running of the table in 2016 but trailed 14-10 at halftime. In 2015, the Packers trailed 20-0 at halftime but won on the Rodgers-to-Richard Rodgers Hail Mary. Detroit won in 2014 and 2013. In 2012, Rodgers fired the winning touchdown pass to Randall Cobb with 1:55 remaining.
It figures to be different this time, with no fans in Ford Field. But, who knows what tricks the Lions have up their sleeves.
“It’s like, it might be in the AC that they got in there,” Davante Adams. “They might be putting something in the AC, likesome drowsy (stuff) or something, because I don't know why, but it proves true every year since like 2015. We haven't done well in the first half and we’ve got to go out and save our butts by playing as hard as possible in the second half.”
2. Spectacular Stafford
Matthew Stafford might be on borrowed time in Detroit. For all his statistical brilliance, he’s never won a playoff game since entering the NFL in 2009. In fact, the 12th-year pro might wind up outside the playoffs for the ninth time in his career. His career record is 74-86-1.
That’s obviously not all his fault. There’s only so much you can do as a quarterback. Playing defense is not part of the job description.
He’s in the top 20 all-time in passing yards and touchdown passes. With 31 career fourth-quarter comebacks – including last week at Chicago – he’s tied with John Elway for seventh place in NFL history. In his last nine starts against Green Bay, he’s thrown 20 touchdowns vs. three interceptions, including nine touchdowns vs. zero interceptions during season sweeps in 2017 and 2018.
Even if star receiver Kenny Golladay is out again, Stafford’s got plenty of weapons, led by receiver Marvin Jones and tight end T.J. Hockenson.
“Just a strong arm. He’s good at improvising. You know, he can make every throw on the field,” Packers safety Adrian Amos said. “In my mind, one of the more underrated quarterbacks around the league as far as his talent to throw the ball. So, that’s somebody that we always have to bring our ‘A’ game against.
“There’s certain quarterbacks that can’t make certain throws, so you don’t worry about it as much. He can make different hole-shot throws and he likes to take those shots. So, it's not something that you can take lightly.”
3. Special Challenge
Green Bay’s beleaguered special teams, which have given up half of the NFL’s punt-return touchdowns in the last four weeks alone, will be tested by Detroit’s Jamal Agnew. The fourth-year pro has three career touchdowns on punt returns and one on a kickoff return.
“Obviously we’ve watched all those,” Packers special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga said. “We’ve watched his big returns and he’s an excellent returner. He can stretch the field and get to the edge. He’s got great vision and will hit it north and south. He’s a threat every time he touches the ball. We’ve got to do our best job as far as being disciplined in our lanes, squeezing to the returner and making tackles. That’s going to be with anybody, but he’s definitely dangerous every time you punt or kick off to him.”
Over the last seven games, Mennenga’s units have gone up in flames with the two punt-return touchdowns, a fumbled kickoff return, a blocked punt and a 45-yard kickoff return.
“Very frustrated. Very frustrated,” Mennenga said. “You know, it’s a deal where we’ve tried to clean those things up. You feel like during a game we haven’t had a lot of explosive plays and we’ve played pretty clean and then there’s one or two plays. It’s 30 one-play series on special teams. One or two plays is a disaster for a game. It can change the whole game. That’s what’s been extremely frustrating.”
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