An insider’s perspective on the Packers-Lions matchup

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers have won four straight games. The Detroit Lions have won five games in a row. If the Packers win, they will be in first place in the NFC North. If the Lions win, they will have a commanding lead over Green Bay in the division.

John Maakaron of the Detroit Lions on SI he presented his observations on the most important game in this Q&A segment.

1. Jared Goff’s 13 incomplete passes and 10 touchdown passes in the last four games are unbelievable Go crazy. Why is the passing game so effective?

It’s a mix of scheme and Goff playing at an extremely high level. The team’s winning streak has been phenomenal, and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson continues to find ways for the offense to succeed at a high rate.

Having a running game like the Lions didn’t hurt either, as it also allowed them to open up their passing and passing game.

According to Pro Football Focus, Goff ranks first in passing yards on the field in incomplete pass percentage (80.3), yards (833), yards per attempt (11.7) and passer rating (133.2). Goff has performed well in every program, but his completion percentage is a plus-9.9 in play-action opportunities.

2. The Titans sacked Goff four times last week, which was quite astonishing considering the perceived strength of the line and the fact that Goff barely had to throw the ball because the play was so inconsistent. What were the problems and is it really a serious problem?

Any time you give up four sacks in a game, it’s a valid concern. This was surprising considering how good the Lions o-line had been all year, but it was an outlier in an otherwise solid campaign.

Left guard Taylor Decker has had some poor moments in recent weeks, which is a cause for concern. PFF has charged him with five sacks – one in five games, including against the Vikings and Titans over the past two weeks. Left-back Graham Glasgow has allowed himself a dismissal in two of the last three games.

Credit the Titans for their rushing acrobatics that kept the Lions line off balance. How they perform against the Packers could determine whether the problems are a one-off or an underlying problem.

3. Without defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the pass rush predictably suffered. Will this be a major weakness worth considering if the Packers decide to start a hobbled Jordan Love team, which appears to be the case?

Since Hutchinson’s injury, the Lions defensive line has suffered just one sack in three games. While they have been able to pressure at times, they don’t have enough production when it comes to sacks. It’s truly amazing that Hutchinson entered Week 9 third with 7.5 sacks and first with 17 quarterback hits despite missing the last two and a half games.

As a result, calls for the team to make a move for the pass rusher are getting louder. One potential candidate is former Packers star Za’Darius Smith.

But until they make a move, they only have what’s in the lineup. If Love plays with an injury, it could make things easier, but they didn’t have much success dealing with the Titans’ Mason Rudolph last week. Look for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to continue to develop unique ways to create pressure.

4. If you look at yards allowed per carry, Detroit’s defense is a bit soft. But these are just numbers. On the other hand, when I asked Matt LaFleur on Thursday, he said, “When they load up the box and play you in tight coverage like they showed, there’s nowhere to run.” What do you see from this phase and how do they handle Josh Jacobs?

After a strong start to the year in this area, teams began to have more success in the ground game. They gave up 133 rushing yards and 7.0 yards per carry vs. Seattle in Week 4 and 139 yards and a 6.6 average vs. Minnesota in Week 7.

But the Lions defense was very tense, don’t get discouraged. Last week, the Titans ran for 158 yards for a 4.9-yard average and gave up 38 points.

Jacobs presents another challenge the Lions will need to prepare for. The defensive line has a lot of solid players, but they sometimes struggle to slow down opposing defenses. Jacobs may be the biggest threat they’ve faced this year, so a strong effort will be needed.

5. You have to bet a dollar. Who wins and why?

I expect a fierce fight for first place. The Packers rank 10th in the league in run defense, giving up an average of 110 yards per game. Considering how well Detroit ran the ball, this could be the difference in the game.

Ultimately, the Lions will demonstrate their ability to play at a high level and ultimately open up the rest of their offense to win the one-point game.

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The #PackersA pass rush that has been hot and cold is bound to catch fire on Sunday against the Lions’ standout offensive line. https://t.co/0rnsGnBP2p

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 1, 2024