Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions: Week 17 Keys to Victory

Dec 8, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; A Green Bay Packers fan holds up a sign during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 43-37. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

1.  Play Lambeau Field football.

Home field advantage is one of the most fascinating and difficult things to measure in all of sports.  The Green Bay Packers have undeniably been a different football team at home this season, with a perfect 7-0 record.  Their offense has been particularly impressive at home, putting up point totals of 43, 26, 53, 55, 38, 42 and 31.

The clear advantage at home is the in-game crowd noise, which can especially lend a hand to the Packers’ offense when working with the hard count in short-yardage situations.  Past that, you can look at everything from the advantage of players sleeping in their own beds, driving their own cars to work from their own homes and being in familiar surroundings.  When playing at home, all unknown variables are removed.  For the Green Bay Packers, that’s been the ideal condition in 2014.

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Now, a 7-0 home record on a team still fighting for the division title obviously means one thing: it’s been a hard road on the road.  With just a 4-3 record away from Lambeau, highlighted by one very ugly loss to the Buffalo Bills, many have rightly questioned the Packers’ ability to win games outside of Wisconsin come playoff time.

Sunday’s game against the Lions is two games in one, and Green Bay can record two wins at once.  Earning the bye week would be critical not only for the ability to jump a round of playoffs, but because it guarantees that the Packers would host their first playoff game.  This could also delay the scenario that I, like many Packer fans, see to be the least optimistic: a trip to Qualcomm Stadium to face the Seattle Seahawks.

Week 3 was not a fluke loss.  It was no mistake.  Just like the Buffalo Bills, whose defense draws many similarities to Detroit’s, the Green Bay Packers were simply outplayed.  Each of those losses showed that if you can stop the Green Bay offense, you can stop the Packers as a whole.  Aaron Rodgers will need to be at his best on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

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