Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers - NFL Week 2

Sunday
September 20, 2020
1:00 PM ET

Green Bay, Wisconsin
Lambeau Field

About the Lions

The Lions lost a heartbreaker last week as they allowed the Chicago Bears to score 21 points in the final quarter after leading by 17. To add insult to injury, QB Matthew Stafford dropped back to pass and delivered a perfect strike to rookie RB D’Andre Swift with only seconds remaining in the game. Swift dropped the potential game-winning pass as the Lions suffered their 1st defeat of the season. The Lions became the 4th team since 2007 to lose a game when up 17-plus points entering the 4th quarter. The Lions were without star WR Kenny Golliday who didn’t play due to injury as the other playmakers stepped up to compensate for his absence. WR’s Danny Amendola, Marvin Jones Jr., and TE T.J. Hockenson all had over 50 receiving yards while newly acquired RB Adrian Peterson had 93 yards rushing averaging 6.6 yards per carry. DE Trey Flowers played well as he has a forced fumble and a sack and gave the Bears offensive line all they could handle. The Lions defense also struggled with stopping the run and they will have their hands full with dual-threat RB Aaron Jones. Trey Flowers and DT Danny Shelton must get up-field and hit QB Aaron Rodgers while also stopping the Packers run game. There is also concern about the depth at the CB position due to injuries to starters Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman who was placed on injured reserve. Number 3 overall pick CB Jeffrey Okudah didn’t play either Sunday due to injury and it’s possible all 3 players could be out against the Packers.

About the Packers

Is it safe to say that QB Aaron Rodgers was trying to send a message with his performance against the Vikings? Rodgers threw 4 TD passes and a superb 364 passing yards and just maybe Rodgers was fueled by the fact the Packers drafted QB Jordan Love in the 1st round of the draft? Rodgers didn’t seem to be threatened or worried about his job security and the Packers should be glad to have him under center. WR Davante Adams tied a single-game franchise record with 14 catches to go along with 156 yards receiving and 2 TDs. The Packers were concerned about who would emerge as the secondary WR’s behind Adams, but that question has been answered as both WR’s Allen Lazard and Marques Valdes-Scantling proved that they both were capable of being viable options in the Packers offense. CB Jaire Alexander had a good game as he picked off QB Kirk Cousins, recorded a sack and safety as he became the 3rd player since 2000 with all 3 in a single game. His lone mistake was allowing a TD pass when WR Adam Thielen beat him on a fade route. Look for Alexander to be matched up against Marvin Jones Jr. in a marquee matchup which could determine the outcome of this game.

Players to Watch

Tony McRae (Lions): Look for the journeyman to finally get an opportunity to start in place of one of the injured starters. He is on his 6th team and should be prepared to earn a permanent spot on the roster.

Allen Lazard (Packers): An undrafted and underrated player who is very capable of becoming a good WR especially with Davante Adams attracting all the attention in opposing secondaries.

Impact Rookies

D’Andre Swift (Lions): Swift will be looking for every chance to redeem himself after dropping the game-winning pass last week. Swift is an explosive player with a compact build and can contribute as a runner and a receiver.

A.J. Dillion (Packers): Dillion is powerfully built and has good athleticism for his size. He could be used effectively in goal-line situations with his 6’0 and 247-pound build.

Prediction

With inexperienced players filling in for injured starters in the Lions secondary, Rodgers puts up points in bunches as he and Adams put up monstrous numbers. Stafford tries to keep up in the scoring column but won’t be able to outduel Rodgers.

Final Score: Lions 27 / Packers 52