For the second straight Thursday, the Green Bay Packers play football. The Packers head to Detroit to battle the NFC North leading Lions. The Packers are 9-3 while the Lions are 11-1. Detroit controls a two game lead and the tie breaker due to their Week 9 win in Green Bay. With five total games remaining, the opportunity for the Packers to alter their postseason hopes for the better is monumental.
The Packers enter this Week 13 match up riding a three game losing streak. In fact, their last loss was to the Detroit Lions. Green Bay has put together back to back dominating performances against the 49ers and the Dolphins. The Packers won both games by a combined total of 41 points. Green Bay enters this week’s match up with some positive momentum.
The Lions are coming off a controversial victory against the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving. At the end of the game, the Bears were driving into Detroit’s territory with a chance to win, or at least, tie the game. However, the Bears horribly mismanaged the clock and, literally, ran out of time. Additionally, the Lions will be without several key defensive players and their starting LT Taylor Decker will not play against the Packers.
What is At Stake For the Packers?
The Packers number 1 goal is to win the NFC North. Despite being 9-3, the Packers are two games behind the Lions and one game behind the Vikings. Additionally, Green Bay lost to Minnesota and Detroit earlier this season. According to ESPN, the Packers have a 5% chance to win the division. The Packers have a chance to make the race for the division crown awfully interesting down the stretch if they can beat the Lions Thursday night. If Green Bay falls short in Detroit, their path to winning the NFC North becomes a lot cloudier.
On top of the playoff implications at stake, the Packers will look to avenge their loss to the Lions. In that Week 9 game, Green Bay played a mistake-filled game. The Packers were plagued by drops, penalties, bad turnovers, and poor execution in the red zone. It was without question a very disappointing performance. Green Bay certainly wants to rewrite the script and send a message that they can compete with the league’s best teams.
The Packers have a chance to beat the Lions. Detroit is extremely banged up on the defensive side of the ball. With several back ups and new faces on the Detroit defense, possessing the ball needs to be a high priority for Green Bay. The Packers will be without Romeo Doubs, Jaire Alexander, and Edgerrin Cooper so they are also battling the injury bug. The mission is clear for the Packers. A win on Thursday keeps all of their goals in front of them. The opportunity in Detroit is profound for Green Bay.
