The Game: Green Bay at Detroit (+3)
You have to believe that this line, Plus-3, is a lot friendlier to the Lions after the last month for both teams. The Packers (7-4) have spent the last 30 or so days looking very mortal and have already lost two more games than I thought they’d lose the entire season. Detroit (4-7), on the other hand, has won its entire season’s-worth of games already so anything more will definitely put them in the danger-zone of keeping Jim Caldwell as their coach. Nobody wants that.
The History
There’s plenty. The rivalry predates existence of the “Lions” name. Back when the teams first met on Nov. 2, 1930 the Lions were known as the Portsmouth Spartans. They wouldn’t become the Lions until four years later.
The Packers lead the overall series 97-68-7 with their last win coming a year ago at Lambeau. The Lions won the teams’ first meeting this year 18-16, beginning the Packers’ slide into wild card territory.
Two of he longest streaks in this series are both from before the merger, with the Lions winning 11 straight games from Dec. 1949 to Nov. 1954. The Packers won 10 consecutive games from Nov. 1940 to Oct. 1945. The Packers won 10 straight again in the modern era from Dec. 2005 to Oct. 2010.
The teams have only met in the playoffs twice, both in the same calendar year. The Packers knocked the Lions out of the playoffs with a 28-24 victory in Jan. 1994 in one postseason and then did it again Dec. 31, 1994 with a 16-12 win in the following postseason.
Since taking over the starting job in Green Bay in 2008, Aaron Rodgers has only lost to the Lions four times, but three of those losses have come in their last four games.
The Packers on Offense
While the Packers lost last week against the Bears, they got some good news with the reemergence of running back Eddie Lacy, who seems healthy again for the first time in a long while. Lacy carried the ball 17 times for 105 yards and caught four passes for 34 yards and a touchdown. At wideout, Devante Adams was hobbled and it showed as he only hauled in two passes for 14 yards even though Rodgers targeted him 11 times. Adams needs to step up if the Packers are going to make the run that looked so certain back in October.
The Lions on Offense
Jim Bob Cooter’s offense has been more productive than Joe Lombardi, who was fired along with a couple of offensive line coaches back before Halloween. Cooter still can’t seem to figure out how to use Ameer Abdullah or Theo Riddick in the running game, but Calvin Johnson is probably on his way to another Pro Bowl and 1,400-yard, 10-touchdown season. The secret weapon in Detroit is Golden Tate, who has really become a weapon here in the latter half of the season and not just a decoy to keep so much attention off Johnson. Riddick’s emergence as a third-down weapon and pass/touchdown-catching machine (55 catches, 507 yards, six touchdowns, 9.2 yards per catch) won’t pay off much for the Lions this season, but will fatten his bank account considerably when he hits the free agent market after next season. The Patriots… whatever team Sean Payton is coaching will open up the check book for that kid.
The Packers on Defense
The pass rush has been a problem in the latter half of the season for the Packers. Last week Green Bay managed just one sack against Jay Cutler and the Bears and it’s a problem that defensive coordinator Dom Capers is going to have to address with more blitzes, which he likes to do anyway. Back when the Pack was winning they were getting after the quarterback as good as anybody and are still ranked in the Top Five of the league with 30 team sacks so the talent is there and they might unload on Matthew Stafford tonight.
The Lions on Defense
Detroit’s defense at best is a mediocre unit with a few good, key players. No one in the secondary is very scary, especially with safety Glover Quin banged up, but up front Ezekiel Ansah has become one of the premier pass rushers in the game and already has 11.5 sacks this season. Haloti Ngata has been a decent replacement for Ndamukong Suh.
The pick: I didn’t think Aaron Rodgers would lose back-to-back games at any point this season and then he lost three in a row. I’m still not picking against him. Packers 27, Lions 20
