Packers vs. Lions countdown: Offense looks to get back on track

By foxsports
Published

Efficiency and precision have not been strengths of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers offense through two games.

That could change when the injury-riddled and defensively susceptible Detroit Lions visit Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Detroit (1-1) ranks 22nd in points allowed and 26th in the NFL in yards allowed through two games, winning a shootout over the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 and allowing the Tennessee Titans to overcome a 12-point deficit last Sunday.

But the Lions have former No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford at quarterback, who is capable of a big game on any given week. Plus, they should be somewhat confident about playing the Packers, given they beat them at Lambeau Field last year and were a Hail Mary away from sweeping the season series.

Here's a closer look at Sunday's matchup:

3 THINGS TO WATCH

-- Can Rodgers rebound from a subpar outing vs. the Vikings? Rodgers made poor throws, questionable decisions and fumbled three times in the loss, in addition to a late interception that all but sealed the win for Minnesota. The 12th-year quarterback has gone 14 straight games without posting a quarterback rating of 100 or better after hitting the mark in 74 of his first 128 career games.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said he has "great confidence" in Rodgers, adding that he's "never trusted a quarterback as a player" more than he's trusted Rodgers.

McCarthy has fair reason to be optimistic about Rodgers. The 32-year-old has the NFL's highest passer rating since 2008 (104.2) and fourth-highest since 2014 (100.8). He's been especially effective in 14 career games vs. the Lions, throwing 26 touchdowns and just six interceptions against them while going 11-3.

-- How will the Packers secondary fare against Stafford and the Lions receivers? Stafford is 53-of-79 passing (67.1 percent) this season for 600 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 101.2. The 28-year-old is 3-8 in 11 games vs. the Packers, completing 59 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns, 17 interceptions and a passer rating of 78.4. He has been more consistent against the Packers in the past three seasons, however, throwing 11 touchdowns and three interceptions while leading Detroit to a 3-3 record.

Free-agent acquisition Marvin Jones has been Stafford's most frequent target through two games, catching 12 passes for 203 yards on 21 targets. Seventh-year receiver Golden Tate has been Stafford's next-favorite target catching nine passes for 54 yards on 16 targets. The Lions are looking to them, along with veteran Anquan Boldin, to help offset the loss of six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who retired after last season.

-- Can the Packers defensive line continue to control the line of scrimmage? Green Bay has yielded 78 rushing yards on 48 attempts (1.6 yards per carry) through two games, which is tops in the NFL. That included limiting former MVP Adrian Peterson to 19 yards on 12 carries last Sunday. The defense already has seven sacks, which is tied for second in the NFL, and plenty of tackles for a loss. Mike Daniels and Letroy Guion have led the way on the defensive line through two games, but Green Bay could be without Guion on Sunday because of a knee injury. That could mean more playing time for first-round draft pick Kenny Clark, who played in 66 percent of the defensive snaps vs. Minnesota.

"He definitely made a big jump from Week 1 to Week 2, and he has to take another step this week," McCarthy said of Clark.

2 THINGS TO REMEMBER

-- The Lions have a new-look offense without star wide receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Ameer Abdullah. Detroit targeted Johnson on 23.6 percent of their passes last season, and his 6-foot-5 frame and speed forced opponents to pay extra attention to him. The Lions also lost Abdullah, a 2015 second-round pick, to a foot injury last Sunday. The team appears to be planning on featuring backup Theo Riddick.

"He definitely fits the way they like to play," McCarthy said, "with this scheme and the ability to spread the ball around and create favorable looks for the running back position, Theo does a great job of taking advantage of that."

-- The Lions will be looking to continue the momentum from last year's win at Lambeau Field. Detroit had lost 23 straight regular-season games there before its 18-16 win Nov. 15, during which Rodgers attempted a career-high 61 passes. The Lions nearly swept the season series, but Rodgers completed a last-second Hail Mary to Richard Rodgers for the game-winning score in their Dec. 3 matchup. Another win could be tough, however, given that several top starters, including defensive end Ezekiel Ansah and linebacker DeAndre Levy are battling injuries.

1 KEY MATCHUP

-- Rodgers vs. the Lions defense. Can he regain his timing against an injury-riddled Lions defense that has yielded 813 yards and six touchdown passes through two games? There may not be a better opportunity for the two-time MVP, who could quell more talk about a decline with an efficient performance. 

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