Packers @ Lions Pre-Game (Thurs Night)

[OldSchool101]

It’s early to start this but both teams have already played on Turkey Day and this will really be “The Game of the Week”. This game could very well be an earlier preview of 2 Teams in the North that meet again during the playoffs.

 

[milani]

It’s early to start this but both teams have already played on Turkey Day and this will really be “The Game of the Week”. This game could very well be an earlier preview of 2 Teams in the North that meet again during the playoffs.

It will not be impacted by the weather for sure.

 

[Zartan]

It's wild that the Pack got 4 straight primetime games.

Dolphins, Lions, Seahawks and Saints. Thursday, Thursday, Sunday Night and Monday Night

 

[El Guapo]

Well that's because we previously played at noon, noon, noon, noon, noon, noon, noon, noon, noon..... There may have been a 3:25pm tossed in there somewhere.

I'm excited to play the Lions in Detroit. I think that we may be a better indoor team at the moment. I also feel that the Lions are slumping a bit (but still winning) while we are starting to win more convincingly.

Even if we lose, the Packers will get some good feedback on what they need to work on heading into the playoffs.

 

[Firethorn1001]

I still find it hard to believe that the Packers can catch the Lions. Lions need to drop 3 games and Packers need to win out. Lions have a tough schedule the next 5 weeks and their defense is really getting beat up with the injury bug so, guess anything is possible, but them going 2-3 and us 5-0? Don't see it.

 

[milani]

It's wild that the Pack got 4 straight primetime games.

Dolphins, Lions, Seahawks and Saints. Thursday, Thursday, Sunday Night and Monday Night

Got tired of those Noon kickoffs.

 

[Pugger]

I still find it hard to believe that the Packers can catch the Lions. Lions need to drop 3 games and Packers need to win out. Lions have a tough schedule the next 5 weeks and their defense is really getting beat up with the injury bug so, guess anything is possible, but them going 2-3 and us 5-0? Don't see it.

I don't see it either. The team we need to pass in the playoff seedings is MN.

 

[Pugger]

Got tired of those Noon kickoffs.

We have to wait until 1 pm here in the EST.

 

[Pkrjones]

I'm feeling better about this game than I was 2 weeks ago. Packer's D is showing they can regularly stop teams from scoring and the Lion's D is beat up. Think GB can sneak out of Detroit with a W. Packers 30, Lions 28.

 

[DoURant]

The Lions 2 headed monster at running back is one of the keys to their success. And when I say 2 headed, they truly are that.

Through 12 games the combination of Gibbs and Montgomery are almost mirror images of each other in so many aspects. With rushing yds being the only outlier. Here's a breakdown.

Rushing:
Gibbs, 163 Att., 973 Yds, 6.0 Avg. 10 TD's
Monty, 166 Att., 720 Yds, 4.3 Avg. 11 TD's
Receiving:
Gibbs, 28 Rec., 282 Yds, 1 TD
Monty, 27 Rec., 277 Yds, 0 TD

To be separated by 2 total touches (3 rushing, 1 Receiving) is amazing, not to mention both have scored 11 TD's each.... in 12 games, That 6 yds per Att by Gibbs in the run game is what really stands out to me. That guy is explosive and a real Home Run threat when he gets the ball.

I think this combo is what really drives this team, more so than the passing game. You just can't forget about the running game when playing the Lions, and if you can run, as we all know, it opens up the pass, which is why I feel Goff is so successful in Detroit, because he doesn't have to be "The Man" for them to win.

 

[DoURant]

Speaking of the passing game, the Lions have plenty of weapons to choose from in that aspect also. TE is a big one, and if a team is going to hurt us in the passing game, it more often than not comes from that position, and Sam LaPorta is special. He, along with Brock Bowers for the Raiders, and our very own Tucker Kraft are 3 young stud TE's in this league who look to take the reigns from Kelce and Kittle in the not to distant future.

The Packers keys to a possible victory next week on Defense are minimizing both the 2 headed monster at RB, and LaPorta at TE. You can't completely shut them down, and they will have their big plays, but we can't give up a 200 yd rushing day, or a 100 yd Receiving day to LaPorta and expect to win. 100-120 on the ground, and 50 yds to Sam, and I'll take that as an overall fairly effective days work. No prediction of a win or loss from me, I don't like doing that. However, if they can do what I stated, we have a chance.

 

[Thirteen Below]

We have to wait until 1 pm here in the EST.

In Kentucky (halfway between the Cincinnati and Nashville markets, and close to the edges of the Indianapolis and Pittsburgh areas), we had to wait until mid-November. Then we had the Chicago game (which I knew from the beginning would be national), followed by 5 primetime or national games.

And then the 2 final divisional games against Minnesota and Chicago - both of which have enough playoff implications that at least one of them will be national, maybe even flexed.

So there was a paucity of TV games here the first 2/3 of the season, but I knew all along that the pendulum would swing back the other way in the home stretch.

I got spoiled for several years during Rodgers' glory days, when the networks bent over backwards to get Packer games on their schedule. If Love gets his **** together in the years to come and starts regularly playing at the level he was at in the last half of 23, I'll probably see a lot of them again. Sometimes during the Rodgers era, we'd see as many as 13 games a year. Say what you will about the man, but he sold commercials.

 

[OldSchool101]

I still find it hard to believe that the Packers can catch the Lions. Lions need to drop 3 games and Packers need to win out. Lions have a tough schedule the next 5 weeks and their defense is really getting beat up with the injury bug so, guess anything is possible, but them going 2-3 and us 5-0? Don't see it.

I agree. It would be a long shot to Win the Division. Right now we’re fighting for Division Wins which will likely decide the 5th or 6th seed, assuming we catch Minnesota or Detroit in a Tie. Thats still tough but it’s much more likely than us passing both up.

I like the 5th because we’d get to play the 4th seed opening weekend.

I like the 5th because if we advance and either the 6th or 7th advances to the NFC game (like we did in 2010). They’d come to Lambeau. It slightly more than doubles those chances.

 

[Poppa San]

assuming we catch Minnesota or Detroit in a Tie

We need division wins most importantly. Detroit plays Minn last game of the season so if any are flexed primetime, that is my money bet right now. We could be lookin at 3 14-3 teams when the dust settles. I haven't done the playoff simulator yet.

 

[OldSchool101]

We need division wins most importantly. Detroit plays Minn last game of the season so if any are flexed primetime, that is my money bet right now. We could be lookin at 3 14-3 teams when the dust settles. I haven't done the playoff simulator yet.

Yes. Always. Thats why it’s next to impossible to catch Detroit. The only logical way is beating their record and we’re -3 games back with 5 to go. Not happening. Even with a GB Win it’s not happening imo

Notice I said “OR” Minnesota. When you combine both there is a realistic chance 1 of us can catch them.

 

[OldSchool101]

I'm feeling better about this game than I was 2 weeks ago. Packer's D is showing they can regularly stop teams from scoring and the Lion's D is beat up. Think GB can sneak out of Detroit with a W. Packers 30, Lions 28.

Amen. We both know, There are defining moments that affect each game. For Miami, it was the Punt muff +7 Packers. While it’s still likely we Won, I think we would’ve been on the Edge of our seats a little more without that. We kinda beat them up on the ground on both sides.

Looking back at Detroit at Lambeau? It was the INT Pick6 Love graciously handed them. But what I’d submit as evidence that the game was closer than that score was with Detroit had you taken away the INT and made that 46 yard FG? It’s a nail biter, even if we didn’t change our Redzone. Even if we kept our “double digits” sloppy flags and just simply made that FG (which I think is reasonable)
Packers out managed the Lions in many categories.
+1st downs 18-17 favored Packers
+Total Yards 356-261 Packers

The story of that game was really
-1 Turnovers favored Lions (7pts)
-5 penalties favored Lions
-Missed FG favored Lions (3pts)

What might surprise folks!? I omitted our last drive and any production in garbage time (last 6:30 of gameclock)

Now it’s 20-10 or 17-10 with 6:20 left GB ball. That including our limping QB and double digits slop ball flags and Redzone yuck.
We know that Detroit has peaked and trying to hold on for dear life. Chicago essentially just went OT imo. I care less about eberflounder I’m sniffing blood and I’m not scared of Detroit after watching them luck out.

 

[DoURant]

Its been discussed, but man this is a lengthy list of guys they have lost to the IR on Defense.

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[tynimiller]

Its been discussed, but man this is a lengthy list of guys they have lost to the IR on Defense.

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That IR would be a better starting defense than half the league….imagine how good they could be.



I want us to win, but I want more to this being the preview of the NFC Ship rematch.

 

[DoURant]

That IR would be a better starting defense than half the league….imagine how good they could be.



I want us to win, but I want more to this being the preview of the NFC Ship rematch.

That's 10 guys on Defense, 4 DL, 4LB, 2 Secondary. We were beat up pretty good in 2010, but this is crazy.

 

[pacmaniac]

I don't see it either. The team we need to pass in the playoff seedings is MN.

We have the 6 seed right now, and we'll very likely make the playoffs even if we don't pass MN.

 

[Pugger]

We have the 6 seed right now, and we'll very likely make the playoffs even if we don't pass MN.

Yes, but the highest WC seed would avoid a higher seed until the NFCC game. If another WC team knocks out a higher seed we could luck out and host the conference championship game.

 

[DoURant]

Its been discussed, but man this is a lengthy list of guys they have lost to the IR on Defense.

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Update: Lions Defensive Line loses 1 more to IR, and possibly 2 more may not play vs Packers. Hitting other teams Practice Squads pretty heavy in order to get more bodies available for Thursday.

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[milani]

Yes, but the highest WC seed would avoid a higher seed until the NFCC game. If another WC team knocks out a higher seed we could luck out and host the conference championship game.

Stranger things have happened. However, I cannot see the Lions or Philly losing to any of their first opponents. The NFC South and West winners could go in the first round. The Vikings are the one team who could pull off an upset because of their experienced defense and their receiving corps. But history just never seems to be on their side.

 

[Thirteen Below]

Damn... we are lucking out on other team's injuries. On the one hand, it's hard to complain about anything that helps us secure a better position for the postseason. There've been years not so long ago that our postseason seeding was hurt by injuries of our own; this time we're benefitting from the vagaries of fortune rather than suffering from them.

But on the other hand, there's something to be said for beating the best when they're at their best. Especially with this young team, which often seems to struggle understanding how good they are, where they stand relative to the other teams in the league, or where they need to improve. Beating good teams that are temporarily ground down by a rash of injuries can leave them with unrealistic impressions of how good they really are.

But all said and done, I think we're better off taking advantage of all the breaks we can get. Coming out of next week with a "W" in one of the games almost everyone had pencilled in as an "L" would make the road ahead quite a bit smoother, no matter how we do it.

 

[Poppa San]

Thats why it’s next to impossible to catch Detroit.

You do realize the game after we play them they get Buffalo don't you?