Can the Packers Stop the Lions Explosive Offense?
The Detroit Lions are looking like absolute juggernauts this season. Week after week, the Lions continue to impress by blowing out teams and making it a one-sided matchup. Green Bay will have to take this matchup or the next to maintain pace with the Lions for the NFC North crown. With the Vikings and Bears hot on their tails, the Packers must step up their game and defeat this heavyweight.
The Packer's offense has been a little lackluster the past two weeks, and it will need to improve rapidly to keep up with the offensive firepower of the Lions. The run game has continued to get better as the weeks go on, and Josh Jacobs has led the way to back-to-back wins for the Packers. The Lions are loaded and can hurt the Packers in hundreds of ways, either through play calling, offensive talent, an excellent offensive line, or Jared Goff playing fantastic football and revitalizing his career. The head coaching for the Lions and their offensive and defensive play callers have punished offenses and attacked defenses. The defense will need to play smart, especially with Jared Goff playing even better when he is pressured or blitzed against. The pass rush has been virtually nonexistent against the Texans and Jaguars, and it will be unacceptable against a top offensive line unit that the Lions have built.
With Jordan Love being questionable, this matchup is even more challenging for the Packers. If Malik Willis steps in the play, action passes and deep shots will not be much of a factor compared to relying on the run and short, quick passes to the receivers or running backs. The Lions will attack with the dynamic duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who have punished the Packers before and will frequently use them against the Packers' lack of run defense. The Packers will have Jaire Alexander and Xavier McKinney, who have been excellent all year and can ensure that the Lions take fewer deep shots out of fear of throwing in their direction. Jared Goff can hurt the Packers by his passing and making fewer mistakes, which he has improved on in his time in Detroit. The linebackers and secondary for the Packers will need to step up and take charge; otherwise, the game could get ugly fast. The Packers will play the Lions again later in the season, but this will be a real test to see if the Pack can keep up and compete with the absolute favorites of the NFC.
