PACKERS 3 - LIONS 7
The Gist: The Packers are now 8-5. That's good for second place in the NFC North behind the Chicago Bears (9-4), who were throttled by the Patriots on Sunday. Speaking of the Patriots, Green Bay's next game is in Foxborough. Good luck with aaaaall that...
With a measure of chagrin, here's how Sunday's game went down:
In the battle of the backups, it was Green Bay's QB Matt Flynn who came up short. But if it weren't for an offensive line meltdown, we might be having a different conversation. QB Aaron Rodgers started slow, and failed to really find a rhythm. It was clear from the start that this was going to be a hard fought game. Before leaving late in the 2nd quarter with a concussion, Rodgers was 7/11 for just 46 yards and no touchdowns. He threw a first quarter interception while looking for WR Greg Jennings. Jennings seemed poised to catch the 30+ yard bomb in stride and go the distance, but saw the pass bounce out of his hands and right to Detroit CB Amari Spievey, who notched the pick. It was just that kind of day for the Packers. Green Bay's offensive line struggled mightily in both pass and run protection. The Lions defensive line, anchored by rookie NT Ndomukong Suh, had their way with the visiting line, and forced Rodgers to scramble frequently. It was on a scramble late in the 2nd quarter that Rodgers received a concussion, courtesy of 4 converging Detroit defenders. From then on, it was the Matt Flynn show: a comedy of errors. Flynn rounded out the day 15/26 for 177 yards, no touchdowns and 1 interception. The latter two statistics could have been reversed, along with the outcome of the game, on one key play. With the Lions backed up to their own 9 yard line, the Packers looked to be in position to score on 2nd and goal. Flynn spotted a mismatch on Donald Driver, targeted the WR, and watched as hidden LB DeAndre Levy jumped the route, and made the interception.
On the ground, Aaron Rodgers led the team with 25 yards on 2 carries, 0 touchdowns and 1 concussion. That's all I have to say about that.
Defensively, you could not have asked for more. Green Bay gave up just 7 points, and held opposing QB Drew Stanton to just 117 yards through the air. They allowed one TD pass, but more than made up for it by intercepting the Lions twice. If you hold a team to 7 points, you expect to win the game. Speaking of points - After this game, the Packers defense is now giving up about 14 points per game. You wouldn't know it from looking at the team's overall record, but this rag-tag bunch of replacements continues to perform at a level equal to the league's top defenses.
We've already covered both interceptions in the game - a combination of dumb luck and poor decision making. Rookie TE Andrew Quarless also got in the action, by fumbling away a catch-and-run that would have brought the Packers into Lions territory with Aaron Rodgers still under center. Flynn also bootlegged in the wrong direction on a critical 3rd down late in the 4th quarter, costing the Packers another drive.
It's been clear to me that, since many of the team's starters began dropping like flies, the Packers were not in the conversation of elite teams in the NFL. Now they are fighting simply for a wildcard spot. With the Bears one game ahead, the lackluster NFC West, and the Giants winning again last night, the Packers must win the remainder of their games to even be in the equation - and as previously stated, their next game is against the red-hot New England Patriots in Foxborough. As for concussed QB Aaron Rodgers: Coach McCarthy has the media playing the waiting game regarding his status for next week's game. And so, we wait.
Sunday's game at Ford Field was troubling. The Packers, destiny in hand, needed just one touchdown to seal a victory. Ultimately, they could only muster a field goal, falling to the Detroit Lions 7-3.
The Gist: The Packers are now 8-5. That's good for second place in the NFC North behind the Chicago Bears (9-4), who were throttled by the Patriots on Sunday. Speaking of the Patriots, Green Bay's next game is in Foxborough. Good luck with aaaaall that...
With a measure of chagrin, here's how Sunday's game went down:
In the battle of the backups, it was Green Bay's QB Matt Flynn who came up short. But if it weren't for an offensive line meltdown, we might be having a different conversation. QB Aaron Rodgers started slow, and failed to really find a rhythm. It was clear from the start that this was going to be a hard fought game. Before leaving late in the 2nd quarter with a concussion, Rodgers was 7/11 for just 46 yards and no touchdowns. He threw a first quarter interception while looking for WR Greg Jennings. Jennings seemed poised to catch the 30+ yard bomb in stride and go the distance, but saw the pass bounce out of his hands and right to Detroit CB Amari Spievey, who notched the pick. It was just that kind of day for the Packers. Green Bay's offensive line struggled mightily in both pass and run protection. The Lions defensive line, anchored by rookie NT Ndomukong Suh, had their way with the visiting line, and forced Rodgers to scramble frequently. It was on a scramble late in the 2nd quarter that Rodgers received a concussion, courtesy of 4 converging Detroit defenders. From then on, it was the Matt Flynn show: a comedy of errors. Flynn rounded out the day 15/26 for 177 yards, no touchdowns and 1 interception. The latter two statistics could have been reversed, along with the outcome of the game, on one key play. With the Lions backed up to their own 9 yard line, the Packers looked to be in position to score on 2nd and goal. Flynn spotted a mismatch on Donald Driver, targeted the WR, and watched as hidden LB DeAndre Levy jumped the route, and made the interception.
On the ground, Aaron Rodgers led the team with 25 yards on 2 carries, 0 touchdowns and 1 concussion. That's all I have to say about that.
Defensively, you could not have asked for more. Green Bay gave up just 7 points, and held opposing QB Drew Stanton to just 117 yards through the air. They allowed one TD pass, but more than made up for it by intercepting the Lions twice. If you hold a team to 7 points, you expect to win the game. Speaking of points - After this game, the Packers defense is now giving up about 14 points per game. You wouldn't know it from looking at the team's overall record, but this rag-tag bunch of replacements continues to perform at a level equal to the league's top defenses.
Costly Mistakes Make Matters Worse:
We've already covered both interceptions in the game - a combination of dumb luck and poor decision making. Rookie TE Andrew Quarless also got in the action, by fumbling away a catch-and-run that would have brought the Packers into Lions territory with Aaron Rodgers still under center. Flynn also bootlegged in the wrong direction on a critical 3rd down late in the 4th quarter, costing the Packers another drive.
It's been clear to me that, since many of the team's starters began dropping like flies, the Packers were not in the conversation of elite teams in the NFL. Now they are fighting simply for a wildcard spot. With the Bears one game ahead, the lackluster NFC West, and the Giants winning again last night, the Packers must win the remainder of their games to even be in the equation - and as previously stated, their next game is against the red-hot New England Patriots in Foxborough. As for concussed QB Aaron Rodgers: Coach McCarthy has the media playing the waiting game regarding his status for next week's game. And so, we wait.
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