Phil from Forest Lake, MN
Which player have you seen the most growth from this season?
My top three are Christian Watson, Kingsley Enagbare and T.J. Slaton.
Brian from Moncks Corner, SC
The Lions defensively suffer from really poor stats, yet have a high-flying offense. However, the stat that really has my attention is the Lions’ leading the league in NOT turning the ball over. Road game in the elements with an improved ball-hawking Packer D sets the stage for who blinks first. Turnovers regularly tell the tale, but would you give this week’s matchup increased significance on the Lions turning the ball over?
Definitely. Takeaways have fueled the defensive resurgence of late, so it seems only fitting, with the season on the line, that unit has to make it happen against the team that has protected the ball better than any other. Also, given Rodgers in the first meeting threw three interceptions for the first time in five years, if math were allowed in the Inbox, I’d say the turnover equation is to this game what a quadratic equation is to algebra.
What’s one overlooked aspect of Detroit’s game that’s fueling their success?
Badgley has given them a very reliable kicker, and they proved they have plenty of offensive weapons without Hockenson.
David from San Antonio, TX
How would you rank the following in terms of defensive impact: tweaks to scheme, personnel changes on D-line, energy and aggression?
Scheme adjustments were done, in part, to promote aggression, and the success with them has generated energy that wasn’t to the same level before.
I think it is safe to say there are a lot of parallels between this year and the famous “run the table” season back in 2016. However, reaching the playoffs just felt even more improbable a few weeks back for all the reasons Spoff mentioned in his response to Thomas from Cedar Rapids. Is this feeling just recency bias, or was the probability of reaching the playoffs this year actually lower than in 2016?
It’s been lower this year, even with the 17th game and seventh spot, which didn’t exist six years ago. Back in 2016, the Packers were 4-6 but climbed above .500 in three weeks and then had three NFC North opponents to finish, when no one had taken command of the division. They knew if they won out to reach 10-6, they had a great shot at the division title or wild card. This team was essentially one quarter from elimination in Chicago, and even with that comeback to get to 5-8, there was a lot less certainty 9-8 would be good…
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