This week the Green Bay Packers travel to Detroit to meet the Lions at Ford Field, in a classic NFC North matchup at 1 pm EST. Both teams are 1-1 so far this year, winning in opposite weeks. The Packers got off to a slow start against the Seattle Seahawks, but put it together in week 2 versus the New York Jets, while the Lions beat the New York Giants in week one, but lost to the Carolina Panthers last week. This week's game can be watched online via live stream below (free with subscription), or on the FOX Television network.
The offensive for Green Bay will once again live and die on quarterback Aaron Rodgers' arm. Last week he went 25-42 for 346 yards, and three touchdowns. Jordy Nelson caught nine of those passes, for 209 yards, but the Packers may need to mix it up a bit more to have the success they will need against Detroit. The game plan going in will probably be the same, though; pass first, attack the secondary and use the running backs just to keep the big Detroit front honest. So far Rodgers has been sacked seven times, so the Pack will need to stop that trend.
On defense, the Packers will need to find some way to stop Detroit's air attack. Linebacker Clay Matthews has been doing it all this year, so look for him to bring it on Sunday. He has nine tackles, a sack and a forced fumble already this year, and would love to get ahold of Lions' quarterback Matt Stafford, but he will drop back into coverage, too, to disrupt a pass.
"I think that I'm more than capable of rushing the passer and dropping into coverage," Matthews told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "Whether it's out of a 3-4, 4-3 look or whatever it may be, I believe I can do it and I believe I can do it to a high level."
The kind of success Matthews has is a key part of the game Sunday for the Packers.
Detroit Lions' QB Matthew Stafford is having a good year so far.
For the Lions, Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Golden Tate look to go to work against the Packers' secondary. So far the offense has put up some big statistics in both games, but that only translated to 7 points against the Panthers. Stafford has 637 total passing yards in two weeks, going 49-80 so far. This week the Lions will need more out of Golden Tate and other offensive contributors. Tate only had 57 yards in week two, while pulling in 97 in week 1. Johnson was down in week 2 as well, going from 164 yards in week one, to 83 yards in week 2.
The Lions D wants to bring pressure against the Packers' backfield, and force Greenbay to give up negative yards. They have force 77 negative yards so far, ranking third in the NFL. If they can put pressure on Rodgers, then they can better disrupt the passing game. They have six sacks on the season so far, and they would like to add to that against the Packers' offensive line.
To watch the game online, you can check out NFL Sunday Ticket. If you want to listen on the radio, the Packers can be heard on 620 WTMJ AM, and the Lions broadcast on WXYT 1270 AM. The game will be on the FOX Television Network with a 1 pm EST kickoff.
