OFFICIAL Packers VS Lions - The Matt Flynn Game

grampi

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There is another point of view. The Lions are definitely thinking about it, too.

First, the Lions are in the playoffs, and as a wildcard they will play on the road no matter what. Fact is, the #5 seed is always on the road just like the #6 (I can't think of a time when the #5 hosted an NFC Championship Game versus the #6, has it ever happened?). #5 or #6, it really doesn't matter to some coaches. Does it matter to Schartz?

Second, the #5 seed might end up on the road in the elements vs. the Giants. Could be ugly weather in NY in two weeks. Also, the NYG have a lot better defense than NO (assume SF beats STL this week and #6 will therefore play at NO). Stafford might get sacked a lot more at the NYG. Playing the NYG instead of NO might not be as important to Schartz as it is in the minds of some fans.

Third, and most importantly, having no bye week, this fairly meaningless game vs. GB is the only chance for DET to rest its own players. Believe me, Schwartz is considering this fact most of all.

Sure, the Lions might be motivated to win this week to avoid NO and then possibly GB if they advance. That's a valid line of reasoning. Schwartz might feel this way about it.

But maybe, as previous NFL wildcard coaches have done when they were locked into #5 or #6 and didn't prefer one over the other, DET will use this week to rest up and stay healthy for a playoff run. It's possible they'll rest more players than GB.

I guateantee you Schwartz and the Lions would much rather face the Giants than the Saints....the Saints already beat the livin' crap out of Lions...
 

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jthom19802

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No they won't. They didn't last time, they won't this time.

You are correct. It was only 410 :D

Another thing I think Schwartz is considering is travel. If NO wins tonight, they are still vying with SF for a first round bye. If they don't get it, the difference between the #5 and #6 seed might be a trip to the west coast.

I'm aware the Lions are on the road regardless, but there is a big difference between an hour plane ride to New York and a three-hour time shift to SF.
 
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Hey guys, #1 Lions fan here to share some thoughts.

Firstly most of you are correct in that we will probably try to win this thing and lock up #5 so we don't have to go to NO. At least that's how I feel on the situation. I see us having around a 1/10 chance at beating NO and probably a 1/5 chance in beating you guys, with of course the exception of this week, you won't have a chance if you sit Rodgers and Co.

In fact I think if both teams sit the #1 QB then we should have a 2/3 chance to win it, because Shaun Hill is probably one of the top 5 best backup QBs in the league. We made sure to keep a quality backup QB because of Stafford's questionable health status going into the season.

I think one interesting dynamic that gives my Lions a good shot at beating your Packers in the playoffs is that we seem to be peaking right now. Stafford had a Montana moment @ OAK, then followed it up with what was probably the greatest game I've seen out of a Lions QB in my life... for whatever that's worth, lol.

I don't know how you guys viewed Rodgers exactly one year ago, but at that time Rodgers on the national level was considered on the bubble of being an elite QB. It was a good topic, and you'd have analysts on both sides of the issue. Now Rodgers is of course probably the best QB in the league, or tied with Brees. I think Stafford needs one or two more seasons for people to say he's elite, but really that's all he needs because he's playing at an elite level right now and we can beat anyone in the playoffs if he plays like he did vs SD.

If we survive the wildcard then it will be interesting in the divisonal. The last two games Rodgers has played the Lions, he's done nothing in the first half. I think it really could be a dogfight. I think you guys would win it in the end because you're the better team right now, but the Lions are a resilient team this year and they won't be beaten until the final gun sounds.
 

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Hey IronLion: Lions look like a dangerous team to me and I rate them as 4th most likely to win the NFC behind GB, NO and SF. Lions are better than the Falcons and either the Giants or the Cowpokes. I agree with you about Stafford. He is hot and has a bright future, and as long as Suh and the Lions don't the thug-route again, they could be a force in the playoffs. I predict a Packers-Lions rivalry for several years to come.

Don't put too much stock in how Rodgers played against you the last 2 times. Packer OL has been dealing with injuries to 3 of their starters all season--Clifton, Sitton, and Bulaga. All look to be healthy again for the playoffs including Clifton and that is HUGE. For the first time in weeks the OL protected Rodgers well against the Bears and he destroyed them, and the Bears are no slouches on defense.

Big question will be the Packer defense. Will they, can they, how much will they improve? Pickett will be back, Desmond Bishop their #1 tackler is back. The chances for the Packer defense to improve are there. Will it be enough? Who knows.
 
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Well the first of the two times was last year, when we concussed Rodgers. He had that bomb pass that one of your guys bobbled and we picked it off, but other than that Rodgers got nothing done in the first half.

I think the maturity issue for the Lions has been addressed. Last week @ OAK players made the conscious effort to celebrate TDs on the sidelines so as to not incur a flag. This week vs SD there were several Chargers trying to provoke Lions players into a stupid penalty and other Lions stepped in to prevent anyone from taking the bait. There was the pregame scuffle with Raiola but the bottom line is we had 3 penalties for 8 yards vs SD.

I don't agree that SF has any kind of a shot in the playoffs. You can't hide your QB. They've been trying all year long, but I just don't see Alex Smith winning a playoff game. They beat us this year but Stafford was in a slump that game, and they beat us on the final play (a 4th and goal TD). I'm not saying their win doesn't count, I'm just saying we match up well against them and we have a favorable chance at beating them in a rematch.

To beat your Packers I think the Lions just need one of those games where everything goes right. TD's and takeaways right off the bat, rattle Rodgers, etc. But I don't see either team getting past the Saints. In all likelihood SF gets #2 and NO gets #3, and so they will play each other, and hopefully the 49ers somehow find a way to win that game in spite of Smith. If not then the Saints get a ring for the other hand.
 

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To beat your Packers I think the Lions just need one of those games where everything goes right. TD's and takeaways right off the bat, rattle Rodgers, etc. But I don't see either team getting past the Saints. In all likelihood SF gets #2 and NO gets #3, and so they will play each other, and hopefully the 49ers somehow find a way to win that game in spite of Smith. If not then the Saints get a ring for the other hand.

Actually I don't agree with a couple things you said. The problem with the Saints is this yeah they're hot, but with the now healthy OL of the Packers, I don't see them able to put pressure on Rodgers. If you can't pressure Rodgers you will have a very hard time winning even if you are the NO Saints. The Lions have a much better pass rush than the Saints, which is why I think the Lions would be more of a potential threat against the Packers.

I don't think NO should be considered the odds-on favorite at all if they have to come through Lambeau.
 
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I'm not hearing that Clifton will be back for the playoffs. I know you guys are optimistic but are there any facts to suggest he will actually be back this year?
 
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Yeah I heard the same thing, also heard from other sources he might not go again this year at all. Either way, your RT seems to be digging deep into your depth, and our Cliff Avril is in a contract year and he's playing like it.

As for the Saints generating pass rush, they'd have to blitz, and Rodgers should smoke them. Both offenses will tear it up but I give the slight edge to Brees. Rodgers has had the better year but Brees is playing better as of late. He's the best QB in the league as of this moment. That's why I see the Saints as the favorites to win it all.
 

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If you factor in the last few games, yes Brees has been better, but Brees has also enjoyed great pass protection practically the whole season while Rodgers has been hurried and hit. But against the Bears that changed. The OL line protected Rodgers well and he proceeded to throw for 300 yards and 5 TDs in three quarters of play. If Rodgers get protection IMO there is no better QB in the league.

Now that's not to say that the Packers OL problems have been solved. Have to wait and see how well Bulaga and Clifton return. I'm not dissing Brees either. He and Rodgers are very close. If the game was being played in the Dome I'd definitely pick NO to win. But in Lambeau? Different story.
 
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You have your opinion and I have mine, hopefully the Saints and Packers never play in the playoffs because it will almost certainly only happen in the Championship Game which will mean my Lions are eliminated.
 

grampi

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Hey guys, #1 Lions fan here to share some thoughts.

Firstly most of you are correct in that we will probably try to win this thing and lock up #5 so we don't have to go to NO. At least that's how I feel on the situation. I see us having around a 1/10 chance at beating NO and probably a 1/5 chance in beating you guys, with of course the exception of this week, you won't have a chance if you sit Rodgers and Co.

In fact I think if both teams sit the #1 QB then we should have a 2/3 chance to win it, because Shaun Hill is probably one of the top 5 best backup QBs in the league. We made sure to keep a quality backup QB because of Stafford's questionable health status going into the season.

I think one interesting dynamic that gives my Lions a good shot at beating your Packers in the playoffs is that we seem to be peaking right now. Stafford had a Montana moment @ OAK, then followed it up with what was probably the greatest game I've seen out of a Lions QB in my life... for whatever that's worth, lol.

I don't know how you guys viewed Rodgers exactly one year ago, but at that time Rodgers on the national level was considered on the bubble of being an elite QB. It was a good topic, and you'd have analysts on both sides of the issue. Now Rodgers is of course probably the best QB in the league, or tied with Brees. I think Stafford needs one or two more seasons for people to say he's elite, but really that's all he needs because he's playing at an elite level right now and we can beat anyone in the playoffs if he plays like he did vs SD.

If we survive the wildcard then it will be interesting in the divisonal. The last two games Rodgers has played the Lions, he's done nothing in the first half. I think it really could be a dogfight. I think you guys would win it in the end because you're the better team right now, but the Lions are a resilient team this year and they won't be beaten until the final gun sounds.

You think the ***** have twice as good of a chance of beating the Packers as they do beating the Saints? Wow, what have you been smoking? And no matter how well the Lions play, they are simply not at the same level as the Packers or the Saints. They could play their best game of the season and they'd still lose to either of those teams...
 

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I think the Coach is going to use this game as an "evaluation" game. He's going to use it to take a look at Clifton to see how he's doing. He's going to take a look at Pickett, if he's allowed to play. He'll sit Starks, show Rodgers little playing time. He'll sit other dinged players. In a recent interview he said injuries will determine a lot about how this game is approached. That means, to me, he's going to use this game to rest dinged guys and get healthy. Sure they'll try to win with what is out there, but I don't expect to see a number of the starters out there. The game is no more than a "tune up" practice for the playoffs. We'll probably scratch our heads at some of the calls. But the Coach will call them because he wants to see how certain personnel handle certain situations. The Defense will probably be vanilla and work on fixing some of the bugs. Capers is not going to tip his hand for the playoffs. I don't know how the Lions will approach this game, but it'll be a step above a pre-season game for the Packers, in my opinion.
 

grampi

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Actually I don't agree with a couple things you said. The problem with the Saints is this yeah they're hot, but with the now healthy OL of the Packers, I don't see them able to put pressure on Rodgers. If you can't pressure Rodgers you will have a very hard time winning even if you are the NO Saints. The Lions have a much better pass rush than the Saints, which is why I think the Lions would be more of a potential threat against the Packers.

I don't think NO should be considered the odds-on favorite at all if they have to come through Lambeau.

NO team is a bigger threat to the Packers than the Saints....see game 1 of the season...Brees and that offense will destroy the Packer D and the only hope for the Packers to win is to score a TD almost every time (if not EVERY time) they have the ball. If the Packer O has a lousy 1st half like they had against the Bears or Lions, they're done...
 

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The Saints are 5-3 on the road with losses to the Packers, Bucs, and Rams, and near losses vs. the Falcons, Titans, and Panthers. They are mediocre outside of their own dome and are a long shot to come to Lambeau in January and even keep it close.

Rodgers sits out 4th quarters with big leads and Brees throws to Jimmy Graham when it's 55-10.
 

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LOL there's no way it's going to be a 55-10 against the Saints. Our defense is too bad to ever allow that to happen. Go back to week 1 and look how pathetic our defense was against them. Our defense left guys wide open in the middle of the field the entire game, and that's where the Saints attack you. They run them screens to the slants that go in the middle.

I actually believe that the fumble from Colston that got us up 14-0 and Payton going for it on 4th down and goal are the only things that saved us in that game. Take away that lucky fumble on the Saints opening drive, they would have scored a TD, and had Payton kicked the FG, all they would have had to do was kick a FG to win it on the last drive.

There's a reason i do not want to see the Saints in the playoffs. Their O-line is 10 times better than it was earlier this year, and our pass rush already sucks bad enough, but also they can run the ball damn well now. If we couldn't stop a 3rd stringer in Chicago, I don't have any doubts on the Saints having 200 rushing yards against us and a mass 500+ yards.

If we play the Saints in the playoffs, it's probably going to be 45-47 or something like that, with little things deciding the game. You can throw excuses out there all you want about them "almost losing on the road" but when they played us, they nearly beat us, and our defense had absolutely no answers at all to stopping Brees, which set up the way for our defense to get burned all year long. We'll probably have a no punt game like San Francisco and Buffalo back in 1992.
 
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You think the ***** have twice as good of a chance of beating the Packers as they do beating the Saints? Wow, what have you been smoking? And no matter how well the Lions play, they are simply not at the same level as the Packers or the Saints. They could play their best game of the season and they'd still lose to either of those teams...

Do you have any actual facts backing that up? We've been shredded every time we've played the Saints with Brees there, and we've been competitive in every game against the Packers. Tell me the last time the Packers blew the Lions out from the starting gun to the end. I think we lost 26-0 on the road in Schwartz's first year. We were a 2-14 team coming off the 0-16 year. This is a whole new team. Stafford will not be playing with the fractured index finger again. If you think the Lions match up better against he Saints then you are not watching Lions-Saints and Lions-Packers games.
 

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LOL there's no way it's going to be a 55-10 against the Saints. Our defense is too bad to ever allow that to happen. Go back to week 1 and look how pathetic our defense was against them. Our defense left guys wide open in the middle of the field the entire game, and that's where the Saints attack you. They run them screens to the slants that go in the middle.

I actually believe that the fumble from Colston that got us up 14-0 and Payton going for it on 4th down and goal are the only things that saved us in that game. Take away that lucky fumble on the Saints opening drive, they would have scored a TD, and had Payton kicked the FG, all they would have had to do was kick a FG to win it on the last drive.

There's a reason i do not want to see the Saints in the playoffs. Their O-line is 10 times better than it was earlier this year, and our pass rush already sucks bad enough, but also they can run the ball damn well now. If we couldn't stop a 3rd stringer in Chicago, I don't have any doubts on the Saints having 200 rushing yards against us and a mass 500+ yards.

If we play the Saints in the playoffs, it's probably going to be 45-47 or something like that, with little things deciding the game. You can throw excuses out there all you want about them "almost losing on the road" but when they played us, they nearly beat us, and our defense had absolutely no answers at all to stopping Brees, which set up the way for our defense to get burned all year long. We'll probably have a no punt game like San Francisco and Buffalo back in 1992.

/agree. Our offense has almost no margin for error if we play the Saints. We pretty much have to score every possession because they will. And all it would take is for a couple of Finley drops or enough hurried throws due to pressure on Rodgers leading to 3-and-outs or no points, and we could find ourselves playing catch-up.

The way the Saints shellacked the Falcons on Monday gives a pretty clear indication of how good they are. Playing in Lambeau it won't be as easy for them, but you can't rely on that alone in order to say that we'll win.
 

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/agree. Our offense has almost no margin for error if we play the Saints. We pretty much have to score every possession because they will. And all it would take is for a couple of Finley drops or enough hurried throws due to pressure on Rodgers leading to 3-and-outs or no points, and we could find ourselves playing catch-up.

The way the Saints shellacked the Falcons on Monday gives a pretty clear indication of how good they are. Playing in Lambeau it won't be as easy for them, but you can't rely on that alone in order to say that we'll win.


But what's not getting mentioned is the Saints defense. They are playing like a playoff team right now.

N.O. held Atlanta to just 35 total rushing yards. And you know, the Falcons prime attack is running the ball and milking the clock, they'll run 8 plays and waste 5 minutes on just that.

I hate to pick sides, but if anyone is playing better defense this late in the season, I think they are doing a much better job than we are here in Green Bay. We lose a game, go into the next one against a team we knew was going to try and run the ball 3/4's of the time, and our defense let them have fun out there and rush for 199 yards without their starting RB. Had Forte played, it would have probably been 250 total rushing yards. The Saints on the other hand look truly embarrassed with their games earlier this year, and are doing a better job shutting down the run.

The playoffs will prove if the Packers defense is what people have said all year, that they don't care cause they depend on Rodgers to out score everyone. New England's defense is getting all the media attention for sucking, but we are just as bad as them. We do get turnovers, but no quarterback in the league is scared to throw deep against us, as it's been proven all year long.
 

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Lets also not forget they only have 2 road losses this year as well. If they lock the 5th seed and knock out DAL/NYG that is going to be some huge momentum for DET going into the divisional game in Lambeau.
 

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But what's not getting mentioned is the Saints defense. They are playing like a playoff team right now.

N.O. held Atlanta to just 35 total rushing yards. And you know, the Falcons prime attack is running the ball and milking the clock, they'll run 8 plays and waste 5 minutes on just that.

I hate to pick sides, but if anyone is playing better defense this late in the season, I think they are doing a much better job than we are here in Green Bay.

I've noticed that too, but as you say, the Saints' defense is doing well on stopping the run. Against the pass they are as bad as we are, so I don't think it will make much of a difference against the Packers. Will the Saints defense be able to stop Rodgers and the passing attack? I don't see it. The only way that the Saints have generated pressure on the QB is to blitz, which they do a lot especially on 3rd down. (like 70% of time?) Rodgers is one of the best at reading defenses. IF the Packer OL is playing well and they pick up the blitzes, Rodgers will smoke them.
 

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