Here we go again. Will Jordan Love play? Or do we have to prepare ourselves for another Malik Willis masterclass?
Against a red-hot division rival, a masterclass performance would be something whether it came from Love or Willis, this Sunday.
Week 9’s matchup with the Detroit Lions will be Green Bay’s biggest game of their season thus far, until they meet again, five weeks later. The Lions have looked incredible and though they have one loss, seem scarier than the luck of the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs.
While Malik Willis’ record as a starting QB for the Packers sits at 2-0, this will be a different animal than the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. On the other hand, Jordan Love has not been ruled out, just questionable.
Whoever is under center or in shotgun, this game’s margin for error is close to zero against this hot team.
No 50 Burger
You’re 10 years old, you finally get the one TV in the house to yourself because your sisters are IM-ing their crushes. So you fire up your GameCube (yeah that’s right) with Madden 07’ and your Packers put up 100 points against the Chicago Bears. You see a real game on TV and wonder: Why aren’t the great teams scoring more points like me?
It may not be 100, but the Detroit Lions are the closest team to that standard this season.
The Honolulu Blue over the past four games are averaging 43 points per game, with their last win scoring 52 points! This offense is your NFL leader in average points scored per game at 33.4.
The Packers’ defense is going to have their hands FULL. According to Pro Football Focus, the Lions have the best offensive line in the NFL, while Jared Goff leads the league with the best completion percentage— 74.1%. This Packers defense has 21 sacks on the season and is top three in the league for hurries. Hopefully, the defense can get going and get to Goff, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Jaire Alexander and Evan Williams being declared out.
Love vs. Willis
I would probably cry tears of joy if Malik Willis came in and beat a divisional rival. He’d be sitting at 3-0, while Caleb Williams would be 4-3!
As much as I have doubted and have been wrong about Willis in the past, it’s hard for me to see the Packers controlling the tempo of this game. Josh Jacobs has been a great addition to the offense, but with how many points the Lions score, it will almost definitely be a pass-heavy game. After all, it’s one of the best teams in the NFL, not the bottom feeders of the AFC South.
It’s understandable to be concerned over how Love has become somewhat injury-prone. It’s also rational to make the case that with the bye week to follow, this could be a great way to give him extra time to heal.
However, this is for FIRST PLACE IN THE DIVISION! AT HOME! Even a healthy *enough* Love opens up more of the offense, and it will be needed rather than the pistol RPOs run by Willis and Jacobs. I don’t think I need to give another 220 million reasons why…but the Pack will need their best offensive product out on the field to keep up.
Stop Turning the Ball Over and Turn the Ball Over!
The one downside to Jordan Love playing on Sunday is that if he stays on track, the Packers will give up the ball…
Love has thrown an INT in all six of his starts. The Packers have given up the ball 12 times this season, nine INTs (all from Love), and three fumbles. Love continues to show immaturity as QB1 in his decision-making.
The green and gold are still first in the league for takeaways at 19, but the Lions find themselves taking care of the ball very well, only giving it away five times through seven games.
It’s forecasted to be a soggy day at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Certainly, not-ideal field conditions await Jordan Love with his injured groin and the rest of the banged-up team, but hopefully, it will shake things up for the Lions as they aren’t as used to playing in these unstable conditions.
On November 2nd, 1930, the Portsmouth Spartans (present-day Detroit Lions) took on the Packers in City Stadium for the first time, in a 47-13 loss. Passing RB, Red Dunn and RB Verne Lewellen were the stars of the game. It’ll only be fitting for a win as it’ll be 94 years almost to the day, as they established their rivalry.
We’ll hope for good things such as that first win, come Sunday!
Leave a comment