Detroit Lions Weblog

Week 12 Preview: Packers Vs. Lions–Can Lions Avoid Being Turkeys again?

Over the last five Thanksgiving games, the Lions have lost by an average of 23 points, which actually makes their putrescent performances, in what should be the Lions organization’s proudest day annually, seem diminished since their performance has been actually WORSE than the 23 point differential would even begin to indicate in those games. Cruel, Bitter, Horrible stuff, really.

At any rate, the Lions will face their most logical Thanksgiving day foe the Green Bay Packers, who short of a miraculously sound performance from a battered Aaron Rodgers, could be nearly as bad as the Lions, given their poor offensive line play and the recent loss of two defensive stalwarts, in a criminally out-of-position LB Aaron Kampman and the misappropriated Al Harris, one of the league’s best bump-and-run coverage guys, who was being asked to play more zone coverage this season.

Offensively, the Lions face the misfortune of likely not having either of their two major stars and organizational calling cards, Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford, available to play. If the Lions are faced with the two-headed dog of Drew Stanton and Daunte Culpepper leading them on Thanksgiving, with or without Calvin Johnson, the Lions chances for victory are diminished by at least 50%.

With the lack of depth the Packers currently have in their secondary, and their inability to establish a consistent pass rush, despite the overall poor quality of the Lions receiving corps without Johnson, the Lions might want to spread the field with multiple receivers and split out players like Brandon Pettigrew, Kevin Smith or Aaron Brown, forcing the Packers to play more nickel, and giving the Lions a chance to play a more balll controlled, measured offense with Culpepper, asking him to just not turn the ball over. If the Lions are successful with that plan, they might be able to protect their defense and keep the Packers offense off of the field.

The Lions absolutely need to eat up clock and keep the Packers offense off of the field, if they are even going to keep the game close. If the Lions offense sputters, this game will be an ugly, embarassing blowout, where Aaron Rodgers throws for 350+ and 4 TD’s, with a number of plays where Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and Jermichael Finley streak down the field with the nearest Lions defensive back staring at their backside, trailing 10 yards behind them as the Packers receiver eats a turkey leg, and does a little early Christmas shopping, before crossing the goal line.

Coming off of Sunday’s exciting victory over an admittedly awful Browns team, it is too bad the Lions will be looking at another destitute, demoralizing blow out loss, in what amounts to their biggest game of the year. I can’t conjure a scenario that the Lions will make this even remotely interesting, with how undermanned the Lions are in the secondary. The only chance that I can see is keeping the Packers offense off of the field. Packers 24 Lions 10