Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions: Week 17 Keys to Victory
Sep 21, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) talks with Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) following the game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
The NFC North title and a first round bye in the playoffs are on the line as the Green Bay Packers welcome the Detroit Lions to Lambeau Field on Sunday for their second and final meeting of the 2014 NFL season. Each team has come a long way since the Lions 19-7 victory over the Packers in Week 3 at home, but the dynamic of this game remains the same: an elite defense against an elite offense.
In September, the scoreboard disguised a fairly sloppy game of football as good defense from both sides. Both Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford had one of their poorest showings of the season, but it was the Lions’ unrivalled run defense that decided the game.
Eddie Lacy managed just 36 yards on 11 carries in that game, and the Lions’ Defensive Line has only grown stronger since. The Lions have allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL (957), and it’s not even close, as they hold a 250+ yard advantage over the next-closest team. Green Bay will need to go well beyond the incredible 63.8 rushing yards per game allowed by Detroit, and much of the responsibility will fall on the Offensive Line.
“We didn’t have an identity Week 3,” Josh Sitton tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “It always seems to take us awhile to get going and figure out who we are. Some teams come out right away and have their identity. It always takes us longer. We know who we are now, and we feel confident.”
The line, Eddie Lacy and James Starks have all been trending upwards at the right time, and their ability to create first downs will be imperative for the Packers, who must do a better job of controlling the time of possession this time around. Doing so will also take pressure off Aaron Rodgers, who has been dealing with a calf injury all week, although it does not seem serious.
On the injury front, CB Davon House is the only Packer listed as “Out” for the game, with the remaining injuries all filed under “Probable”. This continues to be a healthy season in Green Bay, relatively speaking. The weather at Lambeau Field is expected to hover in the mid-20’s throughout the day, dropping to 16 with a windchill of 7 in the evening and the possibility of snow flurries. Snow falling on the Frozen Tundra in a Week 17 game for the NFC North title, does it get any better than this?