While the Green Bay Packers managed to leave Detroit on Sunday night relatively healthy and unscathed before the playoff push, unfortunately they didn’t leave with a victory.
The team from Titletown took a loss to its division rival in the final week of the NFL season.
In the long run, this game didn’t mean anything, and you really could tell it didn’t mean anything by the lack of urgency on the visiting sideline.
But it’s time to move past the loss that dropped the Packers to a final regular season record of 13-4. Well, almost time. First, let’s get into the stock report for the Green Bay Packers after a 37-30 road loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday in Week 18.
Buy
The returners- Don’t look now, but you know that thing that everyone has been hoping for? You know, the guys that were speculated to return before the playoffs? Well, it may have taken a bit longer than initially expected, but gosh dangit, it’s finally happening. David Bakhtiari returned on Sunday, and by all means, played well considering he missed pretty much the entirety of the season. Josh Myers did, too. Jaire Alexander has been practicing with the intention of playing in the playoffs. Billy Turner came off the COVID-19 list. Randall Cobb wants to play. And wouldn’t you know it? Za’Darius Smith might even get in the mix. Don’t look now, but the best team in the NFC is getting even better.
Dean Lowry- Here’s a name I’ve hardly written this season. At the defensive line position, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Dean Lowry had a couple rough games to start the season. But since then, he’s been absolutely solid in the middle of the defensive line. Is he a standout player? No. Has he done his job effectively all season? Emphatically yes. Sunday, he was blowing through Detroit’s interior all game. Four total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack is a pretty good stat-line for Lowry. His presence next to Kenny Clark will continue to be important moving forward.
Sell
Chandon Sullivan- If offenses want to throw at one particular defensive back on the Packers (that plays often) and gives them the best chance at success, it seems they throw toward Chandon Sullivan. He was fooled on both of the trick plays against the Lions and gave up a couple first down catches. With the potential return of Jaire Alexander to this defense, which gives Joe Barry many options, I’m going to go out on a limb and say Sullivan may see less time on the field. Sell.
Oren Burks- I’m selling Oren Burks the defender, mostly because he won’t see the field as much in the playoffs due to De’Vondre Campbell’s return. Burks has been OK on special teams, but he struggles at the linebacker position making plays. Campbell’s presence on the Packers defense was missed sorely on Sunday. Burks has yet to prove himself as a consistent player on defense, which doesn’t bode well for someone in his fourth season in the league.
Hold
Krys Barnes- Speaking of linebackers, Krys Barnes might be the most inconsistent player on the Green Bay Packers. One Sunday he plays horrible and you just want to sell him. The next Sunday he makes a couple splash plays and looks like a hero. You just never know what you’re going to get. Against Detroit, it was the bad Barnes, who finished the day with the defense’s worst individual grade (32.8). Yes, I know that PFF grades aren’t everything, but there is a sliver of truth in there somewhere. However, I’m not going to sell, because I’ve got a feeling he’ll make one of those splash plays in the playoffs that will make me look silly in hindsight.
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Gunnar Davis is a lifelong Packers fan and a recent graduate of Simpson College, where he was a 3-year letterwinner on the offensive line and graduated with a degree in multimedia communications. You can follow him on Twitter at @Gunnar57Davis.