The Packers head to Detroit to close out the regular season against the Lions. Green Bay has already locked up the No. 1 seed in the conference and the first-round playoff bye, so this game is more about keeping momentum going into the postseason. Here are six things to keep in mind as the regular season draws to a close:
1. MVP! MVP!
It’s possible that MVP voters already know where their vote is going heading into Week 18, but either way, Aaron Rodgers has made a pretty strong case to win his fourth honor. After winning the award in 2011, 2014, and 2020, Rodgers could make a bit of history with a fourth MVP award this year.
Only one other player has won more than three MVPs, Peyton Manning, and he’s won it five times. The other three-time recipients include Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Jim Brown, and Johnny Unitas. Rodgers could also become just the fifth player to win back-to-back MVP honors, something that’s been done by Brown (1957, 1958), Joe Montana (1989, 1990), Favre who won MVP three years in a row (1995, 1996, 1997), and Manning who did it twice (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009).
2. All Eyes On Offense
This Packers offense has gotten rolling at the right time, and the unit had its best statistical output of the season last week against the Vikings with 481 total yards of offense. That said, Green Bay is still struggling to get rolling in the first quarter. In the four games since the bye week, the Packers have scored only 10 points in the first quarter, including a field goal against the Vikings and a touchdown against Cleveland. That might be an improvement in itself, though, since Green Bay was shut out in the opening quarter against the Bears and Ravens.
Wide receiver Davante Adams is only 22 yards away from breaking the previous franchise yardage record set by Jordy Nelson (1,1519). While it’s not expected that the starting offense will play the entire game on Sunday, it does seem likely Adams will have the opportunity to break that record.
Additionally, these last few weeks of the season Allen Lazard has emerged as one of Rodgers’ trusted targets. Per Packers.com, Green Bay is an incredible 12-0 (including playoffs) when Lazard has at least four receptions. Coincidence or not, knowing that, fans should keep an extra eye on his catch total during Sunday’s game.
3. Steadied Special Teams
While it seems silly to be impressed with a “normal” special teams performance, it’s reassuring to see that many of the unit’s early blunders are starting to correct themselves. New addition David Moore had the longest punt return of the season last Sunday against the Vikings with a 21-yard return. He also endured a late hit out of bounds for an additional 15 yards, giving the Packers great starting field position that led to a touchdown.
Kicker Mason Crosby has also been on a promising streak, having made every kick for four straight weeks (17 extra points and six field goals). That includes 13 extra points and five field goals at Lambeau Field which bodes well for a team that will soon be hosting a Divisional Round playoff game in the Frozen Tundra.
4. A Look At Depth
Unless the starters play the entire game, Sunday should give the Packers a glimpse at some players that don’t normally see the field. I’m talking, of course, about quarterback Jordan Love. In garbage time against the Vikings, Love had two completions for 19 yards and picked up an additional first down with his legs. Excluding the kneel down to end the game, that was Love’s only drive. He should see more extended playing time against the Lions.
Running back Patrick Taylor is another example. Against the Vikings on Green Bay’s final drive to burn the clock, Taylor had six attempts for 18 yards with a long of 11. On defense, we could see more playing time from guys like rookie nose tackle TJ Slaton or cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles.
5. Battle of the Brothers
In Week 2 on Monday Night Football when the Lions and Packers first met, the St. Brown brothers had quiet evenings. Amon-Ra finished the game with three receptions for 18 yards and Equanimeous had one catch for no gain. Since then, Amon-Ra has emerged as the Lions’ number one receiver, and it’s not particularly close. Amon-Ra has 82 receptions for 803 yards and four touchdowns, which leads the team.
While Rodgers has been vocal about his love for Equanimeous, that hasn’t translated to a ton of opportunities on the field. This season, the older St. Brown has only seven receptions for 76 yards, though five of those catches have gone for first downs. He did tell the media on Thursday that their parents would be in attendance at Ford Field on Sunday, just as they were at Lambeau earlier this season.
6. The Bane of Detroit’s Existence
Rashan Gary is having a career year, starting all 15 games he’s played in this season. In his first two seasons with the Packers, Gary tallied seven sacks as a rotational rusher. This year he leads the team with 9.5 sacks. The Michigan Wolverine has tallied more sacks against the Lions than any other team so far in his career (2.5), so he’ll look to add to that total on Sunday, though interestingly, eight of Gary’s sacks this season have come at home.
Per Pro Football Focus, he has 76 pressures, 51 hurries, 28 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles this season. Those total pressures rank second in the entire NFL. What’s perhaps the most impressive is that, per Pro Football Reference, the Pro Bowl alternate has zero missed tackles this season. He’s the only starter on the team to have no missed tackles (De’Vondre Campbell is second on the team with only four missed tackles and an incredible 146 total tackles).
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Maggie Loney is a writer for Cheesehead TV and podcaster for the Pack-A-Day Podcast and Pack’s What She Said. Find her on Twitter at @MaggieJLoney.