An insider’s look at the confrontation between the Packers and Lions

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers have won four straight games. The Detroit Lions have won five in a row. If the Packers win, they will take first place in the NFC North. If the Lions win, they will take the division lead over Green Bay.

John Maakaron of the Detroit Lions on SI shared his thoughts on the big game in this Q&A.

1. Jared Goff’s 13 incomplete passes and 10 touchdowns over the last four games are simply out of the ordinary. Madden. Why is the passing game so effective?

It’s a mixture of scheme and Goff playing at an extremely high level. He was out of this world during the team’s winning streak, and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson continues to look for ways to bring success to a high-speed offense.

Having a running game like the Lions’ doesn’t hurt either, as it allowed them to open up the game with play-action passing as well.

Goff ranks first in pass completion percentage (80.3), yards per attempt (833), yards per attempt (11.7) and passer rating (133.2), according to Pro Football Focus. Goff has been good in all schemes, but his completion percentage is plus-9.9 in his play-by-play opportunities.

2. The Titans sacked Goff four times last week, which was pretty astounding given the perceived strength of the line and the fact that Goff barely had to throw the ball because the game was so lopsided. What were the problems and is this really a concern?

Any time you give up four sacks in a game, it’s a reasonable concern. This was surprising considering how good the Lions line has been all year, but the otherwise solid campaign has been an exception.

Left tackle Taylor Decker has had some bad moments in recent weeks, which is a concern. PFF charged him with five sacks, one in five games including games against the Vikings and Titans over the past two weeks. Left back Graham Glasgow has been dismissed in two of his last three games.

Credit must be given to the Titans for their rushing plays that kept the Lions line off balance. How they perform against the Packers could determine whether the problems are a one-off situation or have the underlying problem.

3. Without defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the pass rush predictably suffered. Is this a major weakness worth considering if the Packers decide to go with a hobbled Jordan Love, which appears to be the case?

Since Hutchinson’s injury, the Lions defensive line has lost just one possession in three games. While they were able to apply pressure at times, they lacked productivity when it came to sacks. Surprisingly, Hutchinson entered Week 9 third with 7.5 sacks and first with 17 quarterback hits despite missing the final two and a half games.

As a result, calls for the team to add a pass rusher are growing louder. Former Packers star Za’Darius Smith is one potential candidate.

However, until they make a move, they only have what is on the list. If Love plays hurt it could make the effort easier, but they also didn’t have much success in sacks against the Titans’ Mason Rudolph last week. Look for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to continue to come up with unique ways to apply pressure.

4. If you look at yards per carry allowed, Detroit’s run defense is a little soft. But these are just numbers. On the other hand, when I asked Matt LaFleur on Thursday, he said, “When they load up the box and play in tight coverage, as they’ve shown, there’s nowhere to run.” What do you see at this stage and how will they be able to counter Josh Jacobs?

After a strong start to the year in this area, teams began to have more success on the field. They gave up 133 yards and 7.0 yards per carry against Seattle in Week 4 and 139 yards and a 6.6 average against Minnesota in Week 7.

But the Lions’ defense bent very much and did not break. Last week, the Titans rushed for 158 yards with a 4.9-yard average and lost by 38 points.

Jacobs poses another challenge that the Lions must be prepared for. There are many solid pieces in the defensive line, but at times they struggle to slow down the opposition defence. Jacobs could be the biggest threat they face this year and will require a major effort as a result.

5. You will have to bet a dollar. Who wins and why?

In this battle for first place, I expect a close fight. The Packers rank 10th in the league in run defense, giving up an average of 110 yards per game. Given how well Detroit has the ball, this could be a game-changing factor.

Ultimately, the Lions will demonstrate their ability to perform at a high level and, as a result, open up the rest of the offense to win the game by one score.

More Green Bay Packers news

#PackersThe pass rush, which has been hot and cold, should catch fire from the Lions’ outstanding offensive line on Sunday. https://t.co/0rnsGnBP2p

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 1, 2024