The Detroit Lions look to have their hands full with a Week 2 trip to Green Bay. The Packers hung 43 points on the Vikings in Minnesota in their Week 1 win, and winning in Wisconsin is never easy for the Lions.
This Packers team is quite different from the one the Lions last visited Green Bay. In order to get some insight into what has changed and if the Lions have a chance, I turned to Packers Wire and editor Zach Kruse for some answers to several questions about the team.
Davante Adams lit up the Vikings in Week 1. How did the rest of the unheralded Packers collection of WRs and TEs perform?
The Packers tight ends actually didn’t catch a pass in Week 1 despite playing a ton of snaps, but Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard, the top two receivers behind Adams, went off. They combined for eight catches, 159 yards and a pair of scores. Valdes-Scantling had two big drops, but his speed created two huge plays (45-yard touchdown, 39-yard catch setting up a touchdown), and Lazard was solid, catching two big passes on third down and the Packers’ final score.
The two young receivers won’t produce at these levels all season, but they can make a big play if it’s there. Week 1 was an encouraging debut for two of the Packers’ really important players on offense.
There are some injuries to the offensive line. Who winds up playing and how confident are you in them?
Good question. Lane Taylor tore his ACL against the Vikings and is done for the season, so there’s an opening at right guard. The Packers are likely to get Billy Turner back, and Elgton Jenkins and Lucas Patrick are both on track to play Sunday despite injuries. Matt LaFleur could configure the offensive line several different ways. Jenkins can play left guard or right tackle. Turner can play right guard or right tackle. Patrick can play either guard spot.
Rick Wagner, the former Lion, played well at right tackle in Minnesota. Even rookie Jon Runyan looked good at right guard. Confidence should be high after the Packers manhandled the Vikings up front in Week 1. The group shuffled through several combinations and still dominated. Even without Taylor, this line looks deep.
What can Lions fans expect to see from the Packers rookies?
Probably not much, especially if tight end Josiah Deguara – who played 24 snaps in Week 1 – doesn’t play. The Packers’ third-round pick missed practice on Thursday with a shin injury. Quarterback Jordan Love will be inactive again, and running back A.J. Dillon got only two carries in his debut.
One rookie to watch is linebacker Krys Barnes, an undrafted free agent from UCLA who had some impressive moments as a surprise starter in the opener. He flashed some playmaking instincts in his debut. It’s possible Runyan, the rookie from Michigan, will have to play in a pinch if there’s an injury at either guard spot.
Minnesota had little trouble lighting up the Packers defense, albeit much of that in garbage time. How did they give up a league-worst yards per play in Week 1?
The numbers look bad, but the Vikings scored 24 points in the fourth quarter and were down by three scores for much of the second half. The chunk plays came after the Packers softened up on defense. Over the first seven drives, the Vikings scored only 10 points. It will be interesting to see how Mike Pettine’s defense performs within a normal game flow. The run defense looked shaky again, and the secondary still gave up too many big plays.
How much of a chance do the Lions have of pulling off the rare road win in Lambeau?
Hey, the Lions were up big inside Lambeau Field last year and probably should have won that game late. And the David Blough-led Lions should have beat the Packers in the season finale. Matt LaFleur’s team is the favorite, and for good reason, but anything can happen in these division games, especially without fans in the stands. I’d say Matthew Stafford gives the Lions a legit chance to win.
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