fbpx
Michigan State University Student Radio

Impact 89FM | WDBM-FM

Michigan State University Student Radio

Impact 89FM | WDBM-FM

Michigan State University Student Radio

Impact 89FM | WDBM-FM

join-us-button

Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers: Preview and Prediction

Detroit+Lions+vs.+Green+Bay+Packers%3A+Preview+and+Prediction

The Detroit Lions will travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers this Sunday at Lambeau Field after their unexpected loss to the Tennessee Titans last weekend.

Penalties were once again the story for Detroit. The Lions committed 17 penalties for 138 yards. Those are drive killers and while the Titans didn’t take advantage of a lot of those opportunities, Green Bay will.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford should be able to find open receivers against the Packers’ secondary. Green Bay’s secondary allowed Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford to throw for 286 yards and two touchdowns last week. Stafford is a better quarterback than Bradford and as a result should have no problem putting up numbers like Bradford did.

Stafford will look to bounce back from a poor game last week where he threw for 260 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The interception by Titans cornerback Perrish Cox came with 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter and sealed the game for Tennessee.

Detroit might struggle to run the ball against the Packers. Ameer Abdullah was placed on injured reserve, which leaves Theo Riddick and Dwayne Washington to carry the workload. Riddick is a good pass catcher and Washington has shown promise as  a rookie. However, neither of them have proven they can handle a big workload, so they should split carries in this one.

The Packers defense only allowed the Vikings to rush for 30 yards last week, so the Lions might have to rely on the pass game a bit this week.

Detroit’s secondary has been picked on in the first two games of the season as they have given up an average of 296 yards per game. Rodgers has not had the start to the season  that he had hoped for, but he is an elite quarterback that still picks apart defenses like he has to the Lions many times in the past.

Rodgers threw for 213 yards, one touchdown and one interception last week against the Vikings. Like Stafford, Rodgers’ interception to former Michigan State corner Trae Waynes was a costly one that ended the game. Rodgers will be back at home this week and should bounce back in a big way.

Packers running back Eddie Lacy might have trouble running against the Lions on Sunday. Last Sunday, DeMarco Murray rushed for 89 yards, but 67 of those yards came on one rush, so the Lions did di a good job at containing him.Lacy is a bigger back that will fight for yards, so the Lions will have to wrap up and make sound tackles.

Keys to the Game

  • The first key to the game will be Detroit’s secondary. Can they cover the likes of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb? If they can’t, the Lions could be in for a long day.
  • The passing game for the Lions is huge on Sunday. Detroit’s running game will likely be ineffective, so that means Stafford and his receivers will have to be on their game. They don’t want to get into a shootout with Rodgers, but they have to the weapons to do it if necessary.
  • Turnovers and penalties will be a big thing for both teams. Both teams had costly turnovers last week that led to them losing their respective games. Whoever wins the turnover battle could end up winning this game. Penalties have hurt both of these teams this season, so discipline is another key factor in this game.

Prediction

The Packers will win this game for two reasons. The first being they are at home. The Lions rarely win at Lambeau Field and that trend will continue. The second being Detroit’s secondary. The Packers offense is scary good and the weapons they have will give Detroit fits all game long. The Lions will be in the game for a while, but the Packers will pull away in a high scoring game.

Green Bay 41, Detroit 27

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All Impact 89FM | WDBM-FM Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest