The Packers are sitting on a Thanksgiving secret that could shock the Lions if they follow this one clear path.QQ
The Green Bay Packers have a monster Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions on Thursday. And to beat the NFC North rivals, successfully attacking the middle of Detroit’s defense is a big first step. Over the past four games, quarterback Jordan Love has completed 76.2 percent of his passes over the middle, generating 10.2 yards per attempt.
We talked to Mike Payton, who’s the A to Z Sports Detroit Lions beat writer, and he talked about how the middle of the field can affect their defense. And if the Packers can do it, there’s a clear path to return from Michigan with another divisional win.
Let’s discuss everything about the Lions with Payton.
How is it possible to attack Kelvin Sheppard’s defense?
I thought the Chiefs and the Giants nailed it. Attack the intermediate and get the linebackers out of place, or force the linebackers to do the majority of the coverage. You won’t beat the Lions deep a lot, and you don’t want to give their line time to get to Jordan Love.
But if you work the yards after the catch angle, you will get some explosives out of it, or you can dink and dunk your way down field.
A lot has been said about the Packers’ struggles, but the Lions have had their fair share as well, including a loss to J.J. McCarthy’s Vikings and an overtime win over the Giants. What has caused those issues?
It’s been a combination of two things that are connected together. Interior pressure and third-down struggles. Teams have been getting to Jared Goff up the middle due to the Lions’ weak interior, and it’s been pushing him off his spot.
In addition, the Lions have been struggling on third down all season, and fourth down hasn’t been much better. It’s one of those things, though. If they’re able to fix that problem, they’ll be very dangerous.
How much has the offense changed since Dan Campbell took over the play-calling?
A lot has changed. The Lions have gone back to basics on many things and stuck to the meat and potatoes of what they’re good at. Because of that, the Lions have been better at running the ball, and Jameson Williams has been more involved in routes that the offensive coordinator, John Morton, just couldn’t find a way to get him into. Even the offensive line has been just a little bit better.
