The Green Bay Packers face off against the Detroit Lions later today. With both teams coming in with two losses, this game will mean a lot in the final outcome of this season. I don’t want to stress too much about the importance of this game, but…
According to the Athletic’s Playoff Simulator, Green Bay goes into week 7 with a 51% chance of making the playoffs. With a loss, that’ll drop to a 42% chance. With a win, the Packers chance climb all the way to 70% to make the playoffs. That’s nearly a thirty point swing either way.
So… yeah, it’s a big game even if it’s just week seven. A loss doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. But the Packers need to win. Especially considering Green Bay will have to turn back around and play the Panthers on Thursday night.
Let’s get into this one:
Packers Defense
The Green Bay defense has a tough one ahead of them. The Detroit Lions, coming off of their bye week, have the second-ranked scoring offense in the NFL, averaging 32.8 points per game. Jared Goff is a legitimate MVP candidate and has been slinging the ball all over the place.
But don’t ignore Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions running back is one of the, if not the, most explosive running back in all of football. He can beat you with his legs and with his hands. The Packers front seven will need to do everything it possibly can to slow Gibbs down. This has been made tougher with the loss of Zaire Franklin, who took an unfornate hit to the shin in practice on Thursday according to Matt LaFleur, and will now be out of this game.
Jahmyr Gibbs in the straw that stirs the drink for the Lions offense. If the Lions can get him going, that’s where Jared Goff can take over a game with the playaction pass. Goff is probably the best at using playaction. Being able to stop the run in this game is paramount for defensive success. Jonathan Gannon will have his work cut out for him in this one.
Jordan Love and the Offense
The offense has been all Jordan Love so far this season. With the Packers lacking a running game, Love has been the reason for the offensive success. Green Bay, through the first several games of the season, has the most productive wide receiver duos in the NFL. And even with a ton of drops last week against the Cowboys, the Packers offense was still very productive. But will things change for the offense now that Josh Jacobs will be back this week?
I doubt it. The Packers running game has been lackluster to say the least. And it hasn’t been all on the running backs. The offensive line has not been opening up enough running lanes for the running backs. Don’t get me wrong. Jacobs will make it a bit more productive. But I wouldn’t believe that the offense will immediately go back to be a run focused attack. Not with how much success Love has had throwing the ball through the air. Especially to his speedy wide receivers.
The Lions have the worst-ranked pass defense in the NFL. That’s right, they are number thirty-two. This is due to a ton of injuries in the defensive back field. However, the Lions will be getting Brian Branch back, which can only help their defense. Will it be enough to overcome the Packers number five ranked passing attack? I hope not.
Detroit has been playing a ton of zone so far this season, which is different from years past. Cover three is their go to. This has a lot to do with their struggles on the defensive side of the ball. So, the Packers might need to do a bit more matriculating the ball down the field rather than focus on the deep ball.
Packers Offensive Line
The offensive line has been a huge question mark throughout the early portions of this season. The o-line has been playing better over the past few weeks but still has a ton of improvement to be had. Will this be the week that the Packers finally play Kevin Zeitler? Is he ready? Zeitler could go a long way to help this offense.
Conclusion
Green Bay’s defense has been dominant throughout this season so far, but the Packers are facing one of the offenses in all of football with the Lions. So for Green Bay to beat the Detroit Lions, they will need to put up a ton of points in Detroit.
Can it be done?
Yes, but will it?
Only time will tell.
But regardless,
Go Pack Go!
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Damon is a diehard, fully-immersed cheesehead who currently lives in southern Missouri. He teaches at a local high school and has a family YouTube channel about all things Packers. You can follow him on twitter at @packersfamily and on YouTube at The Packers Family.
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