Packers look to clinch a first-round bye with a win in Motown
The Green Bay Packers have clinched the NFC North and now have their sights set on a first-round bye when they face the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday.
The Packers are 12-3 after their division-clinching win at Minnesota last Monday night while the Lions are 3-11-1 and are coming off a 27-17 road loss to the Denver Broncos. This is the second meeting between these two teams this season. In the first meeting, Mason Crosby kicked a game-winning field goal on the final play of the game to win it 23-22 on a Monday night at Lambeau Field.
The competitive portion of the Lions’ season might as well have ended when Matthew Stafford got injured. David Blough is the current starter. He showed flashes at times such as his Thanksgiving Day performance vs the Chicago Bears, even though his team ended up losing. This is not a very good offense without Stafford in the lineup. The Packers still need to do their part and get stops. They had an impressive performance defensively on Monday night and they need to carry that momentum into this game.
Aaron Rodgers and the offense were much better in the second half at Minnesota than in the first half. This is a chance for the offense to get it together and score a lot of points. Aaron Jones had a rough performance in the first meeting with the Lions. He has an opportunity to shine this time. I believe he will pick up where he left off last Monday night.
Detroit’s return man Jamal Agnew returned both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown this season. He is a guy who can give the team a spark and change field position. The Packers need to watch out for him and kick the ball away from him if possible.
The Packers are in the driver’s seat for a first-round bye after their win over the Vikings. They can clinch it with a win over the Lions. If they win and the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, the Packers will clinch the #1 seed in the NFC. A win would give them no worse than the #2 seed.
A win sounds simple enough. After all, the Packers won 4 in a row while the Lions have lost 8 straight and 11 of their last 12 games. They have looked dreadful in most of their losses too. I obviously don’t expect this team to just roll over though. These players have a lot of pride. They won’t make the playoffs but they have a chance to end their season with a win. They also have a chance to play spoiler and deny the Packers a first-round bye. There is something else we can’t forget. When the Packers won the first meeting on Monday Night Football, it was a controversial win. Despite what anyone thinks about how things went down in the fourth quarter of that game, the players will likely use that as motivation.
Anything can happen on any given day. In the past few weeks we saw both San Francisco and Seattle lose at home to teams who aren’t anywhere near the playoffs. The Packers need to be ready to play. After all they accomplished this season so far, a loss would be a miserable way to end the regular season. I don’t think that will happen though. I think the Packers will come out with a purpose and end up with a victory and a week off. If you are making the trip, enjoy watching the NFC North Champions play and cheer hard no matter who is in your section. Let’s get it done this Sunday Green Bay and get a much-needed week off.
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackrFan #DHPF #NFCNorthChampions #GregGoshaw @gg901
