The Detroit Lions have suffered through two terrible seasons after making the playoffs in the 2011 season. If they want to get back to the postseason, they have to win this weekend.
Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions
Sunday, September 21st – 1:00 PM ET
Odds: Detroit -1.5
Why The Packers Will Cover
They are the better, more proven team with the better, more proven quarterback. It’s just that simple. You need to have a great quarterback in order to win division championships and contend for Super Bowl titles. The Packers have that ingredient, and the Lions don’t. Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford is very talented, and he typically makes a few plays during a game that make you admire all of his abilities. However, Stafford is not a consistent player. He gets tight in late-game situations, and he doesn’t always make good decisions with the ball. He still has room to learn, and to develop into a true NFL star, the kind of label he has not yet earned. Green Bay, on the other hand, has Aaron Rodgers, a true superstar of the sport. Many NFL teams would have panicked and thrown in the towel after falling behind by 18 points in the second quarter. Not Green Bay. Rodgers, with his team trailing the New York Jets by a score of 21-3, matter-of-factly led his team to 13 second-quarter points to trim the Packers’ deficit to only five points, 21-16. Much later in the game, after the Jets had tied the score at 24 on a 52-yard field goal with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Rodgers threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to win the game. This is what Rodgers does and he’s been doing it over a long period of time. You want to trust him here.
Why The Lions Will Cover
They are playing at home and could very well be facing Green Bay at the perfect time. Green Bay was fortunate to beat the Jets last week, and not just because of its comeback from an 18-point hole. The Packers, leading 31-24 inside the final two minutes, should have been taken to overtime. The Jets hit a long pass near midfield to apparently score a tying touchdown. However, New York assistant coach Marty Mornhinweg called a timeout. It is true that an assistant coach cannot call a timeout. Only the head coach can do that. Yet, the referee on the sideline heard the timeout call, and the whistle was blown before the play started. The touchdown was wiped away, and Green Bay held on for a 31-24 win instead of having to go to an extra period knotted at 31. Detroit is not a consistent team, but Green Bay has not played very well this season. In October, the Packers might hit their stride, but in the middle of September, they don’t yet seem to be ready to hit their peak. This should carry the Lions over the top.
Outlook
The Lions were dominated last week by Carolina, so they will be motivated to play better. The Packers haven’t played well yet this season, so they will be motivated to do well. This game could go in either direction, but betting on Rodgers over Stafford cannot be seen as a flawed piece of reasoning. Go with Green Bay.
Pick: Packers +1.5
