Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford is X-Factor vs. Green Bay Packers

The Detroit Lions have had a terrible 2015 season with a 1-7 record just one year after making the playoffs in 2014.

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In Week 10, the Lions will have another possible loss staring them in the face, as they travel to Green Bay to face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. The Packers have lost two straight games to the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, which makes them hungry for a win against the Lions.

The Lions’ offense has been one of the team’s disappointments this season, as their quarterback Matthew Stafford has had a down season. In 2015, Stafford has totaled 2,063 passing yards, 13 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions, and a 64.5% completion percentage.

In Week 10, Stafford has the opportunity to improve his 2015 statistics against a Packers’ defense that has played awful in recent weeks. The Packers’ defense started out the season playing well, but they were exposed in a win against the San Diego Chargers by Philip Rivers a few weeks ago.

Against the Packers, Rivers totaled 503 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, as the Chargers nearly upset the Packers on the road. After the game against the Chargers, the Packers suffered their worst loss of the season against the Denver Broncos. Much of the attention in that loss went on Rodgers only totaling 77 passing yards, but the Packers also allowed the then struggling Peyton Manning to torch them for 340 passing yards.

The Packers had to face a different animal in the versatile Cam Newton in Week 9, but the results were the same, as the duel-threat quarterback totaled 297 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 57 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown.

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The three straight poor weeks for the Packers’ defense sets Stafford up for a chance to have one of his vintage games against a struggling pass defense.

Stafford doesn’t have the best numbers against the Packers in his career so far, as in nine games, Stafford has a 2-7 record against the Packers. Stafford’s numbers haven’t been good at all in those nine games, as he has totaled 16 touchdown passes, 16 interceptions, and a 58.1 competition percentage.

The Lions’ defense has been awful this season, as they rank in the bottom half of the league in both passing and rushing defense. The inability to stop either the run or the pass has resulted in the Lions allowing 30.6 points per game, which is the most in the NFL.

Rodgers and the Packers’ offense are surely going to be scoring their fair share of points against the Lions, and that will put the pressure on Stafford and the Lions’ offense to keep up.

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The Lions are double-digit underdogs on the road, as many believe that this is going to be a one-sided game with the Packers destroying the Lions. While the Packers will likely win, the Lions can certainly make things interesting if Stafford can carry the offense in Week 10.

With how poorly the Packers’ defense has played in recent weeks, Stafford could continue the trend of quarterbacks to torch Green Bay.