Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers finale isn’t devoid of stakes

While the Detroit Lions weren’t able to secure a playoff berth, there’s still plenty to play for as the 2017 season reaches its conclusion.

Let’s make one thing clear: Week 17’s contest between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers certainly lacks the drama of last year’s finale when the two teams locked horns to determine the 2016 NFC North champions. This time around, it’s a matchup of two teams who missed the playoffs and are simply wrapping up their respective seasons.

Last year, Aaron Rodgers was trying to make good on his suggestion the Packers could “run the table” and make it into the playoffs. This year, he’s only played in seven games and will be watching from the sidelines once again on Sunday. This may not be a “run the table” sequel, but that doesn’t render this contest entirely meaningless either.

The Lions (and their fans) need to rebound from a season-ending (and somewhat surprising) Week 16 defeat at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Packers need to recover from an embarrassing performance of their own, having been shut out by the Minnesota Vikings a week ago.

Packers quarterback Brett Hundley is playing for his football future. The third-year man has had his moments in relief of Rodgers, but could really use a strong performance if he wants to prove himself for his next contract, wherever it may come from.

Lions head coach Jim Caldwell has taken a lot of heat in the aftermath of the Bengals game. There’s no way of knowing how hot his seat might actually be, but there’s little doubt that he could use a win right now, if for no other reason than to silence some critics.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford became the highest-paid player in the NFL back in August, and followed it up with another strong season, producing his highest passer rating (97.1) since his breakout 2011 campaign. The veteran has become a much more efficient signal in recent years, and was productive for much of the season.

But fairly or unfairly, his lack of playoff success continues to follow him around, and many eschew him as an elite quarterback in spite of the fact the most measurables illustrate that he is one. Does winning a Week 17 contest with nothing on the line alter this perception at all? Of course not, but he definitely has something to prove on the heels of one of his worst performances of the season.

Then there’s the matter of the sweep. By now, you’ve likely heard that the Lions haven’t pulled off a regular season sweep of the Packers since 1991. It may seem like a trivial statistic, but it’s one the organization is certainly aware of. Securing moral victories over rival franchises is more important than a lot of people realize. This is an opportunity for the Lions to do just that.

Rodgers is going to miss both Lions games for the first time since he took over as the Packers’ starter in 2008. Considering his history of dominance over this franchise, there may not be a better opportunity for the Lions to pull off the sweep than this one.

Next: NFL 2017: 20 Bold predictions for Week 17

Ultimately, this is unlikely to be the game of the week. There are several more meaningful contests on the slate, and this one will go largely unnoticed. But there is more at stake here than it would appear at first glance. There will be no January football for either the Lions or Packers, but the road to 2018 begins on Sunday.