The Detroit Lions will host the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night in what could end up being one of the most important games of the year for the Lions. The Lions are coming off a close win on Thanksgiving where despite playing well in the first half, they struggled in the second half due to the amount of players getting injured. The Detroit Lions are going to be down some key pieces this week, but they also signed some guys off practice squads.
The Packers are coming off a dominant win against the Dolphins where both their offense and defense looked very good. Jordan Love avoided turning the ball over, while the Packers’ special teams forced a fumble on the game’s first punt. This game is set up to be very close and will have huge impacts on the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Detroit needs to walk out with a win, and here are three things they must do to make sure they succeed.
Finish Drives In the Red Zone
The Lions have been great in the red zone this year, but they struggled against Chicago. They entered the red zone five times but were able to come away with just two touchdowns. On the season, the Detroit Lions scored a touchdown 66% of the time they entered the red zone, so this was uncharacteristic. They will need to clean that up if they want to be the Packers, as points will be much harder to come by this week. If the Lions want to extend their win streak, they will need to succeed in the red zone.
Put Pressure On Jordan Love
The Lions will likely be without some key defensive linemen, so it will be much harder to get pressure on Jordan Love. The Lions are expected to be without DJ Reader, Levi Onwuzurike, and Josh Paschal. Alim McNeill and Za’Darius Smith have been great for Detroit this year, but they will also be a focus for the Green Bay O-Line. Love has been good this year, but when he’s under pressure, he makes some poor decisions and turns the ball over often. If the Lions want to win this game, they must be able to put pressure on Love and force him to make bad decisions.
Get the Run Game Hot
The Detroit Lions run game led by “Sonic and Knuckles” has been their strength this year, and they must play by that against the Packers. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs both ran for 80 yards against Chicago, with Gibbs even doing it in just 9 carries. The Packers do have one of the better run defenses in the NFL, but Detroit was able to run all over them the last time they played. Getting Goff and the offense in rhythm starts with the run game, so they will need to get it going early. If the Detroit Lions want to win this game, they will need to get their running backs going early.
Final Thoughts
The Detroit Lions have been arguably the best team in the NFL this year, but with a lot of players dealing with injuries, they will be put to the test. The Packers are still looking to take the NFC North from Detroit, and it will all start with the Lions on Thursday. This game will be very close, and either team could come away with the win. In the end, I think it comes down to the defense and who can get a few stops, and with the Detroit Lions depleted on the front 7, they could struggle against a pass-heavy Packers team.
