This Sunday the Lions welcome in the Green Bay Packers to Ford Field as Detroit looks to string some wins together in hopes of making a late season run at the playoffs. However this is certainly a Packers team that has found itself after a 2-3 start to the season. Since then Green Bay has turned in an impressive win in Houston and taken care of business with St. Louis, Jacksonville, and Arizona winning all of these games pretty sound as a whole. As it stands Green Bay looks to be a daunting task for Detroit as the 6-3 Packers have been putting up touchdowns with ease with reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers finding a new scoring target in Randall Cobb. And speaking of Rodgers he and the Packers find themselves in position for the NFC North as they only trail Chicago by 1 game.
The Lions on the other hand are once again fighting for respectability. At 4-5 Detroit is cast as one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments so far this year. Under performing in the first 3 quarters of games, failure to be disciplined in games has cost them with national criticism now going in the direction of the coaches and players and rightly so.
There is however a bright side going into this game for the Lions, Green Bay isn’t healthy. Clay Matthews is out, Jordy Nelson is questionable, running back Cedric Benson is on the IR while Pro Bowler Greg Jennings has been in and out all season. The bad news is the injuries hasn’t seemed to of stopped Rodgers and Company as of late as they’ve won their last 4 games. The supporting cast Rodgers has at his disposal is deep with Randall Cobb and James Jones giving teams fits.
It would seem as though the only chance the Lions have at winning today’s game and reaching .500 again is a shoot out. Detroit can’t have one of these dull starts and think they can play catch up in the 4th. Start slow against the Packers and the Lions will be starring at 28 to 35 points deficit on the board for Green Bay at halftime. This isn’t the Jaguar offense; this isn’t the Viking offense that hung 30 plus points. This is a offense capable of winning a Super Bowl. Schwartz better have his team prepared as this appears to be a race to 35.
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford should be able to find some success with a banged up Green Bay defense. Stafford and Calvin Johnson should have big days but in the end Aaron Rodgers is just too much for this Detroit defense to handle. The Lions haven’t seen a top tier QB all year and after seeing Ponder have his way last week it leaves me with no reason to think otherwise
Prediction: Packers 34, Lions 24
