Green Bay Packers’ sense of purpose beyond the Lions’
Sorry, but the Detroit Lions will have to take a wild card, while the Green Bay Packers will have a first round bye in this year’s playoffs.
Sunday’s contest versus the first place NFC North Division’s Detroit Lions is to be decided with Green Bay playing host. Detroit has sole position of first place, so a Lions’ win makes Detroit the North champions.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers talks with Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford following the September game at Ford Field. Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports photograph
The Packers would then move into a wildcard game with the location determined later. The “bye” is dependent on a win for Green Bay, and/or which other National Conference teams win, lose, or tie, moving teams up/down conference standings.
While having the context of ‘Game of the Year’ beyond the NFC North Division, and perhaps the entire NFL, it will be a top rated event.
Both teams are in good shape. The Lions have four (4) players on IR this week, the most noticeable are wideout Calvin Johnson, rushing back J. Bell, both returning to “full-practice” on Thursday.
The Packers reduced their number of players on the injury report this week to six, down from nine last week. With Aaron Rodgers, Clay Mathews, Josh Sitton, Mike Neal and T.J. Lang all limited in practice, while Davon House did not practice, he still is out of service.
While these are all key names for Green Bay, the two key offensive and defensive playmakers on the list, we still are expecting bungholio-kicking action from Rodgers and Matthews.
Let’s just hope the Packers can be the team still kicking after 60 minutes.
Headlines read: Lions have not won in Green Bay since 1991. Will the crowd play a role? Will the line of scrimmage give Rodgers time?
Aaron Rodgers will be key to the Packers against the Lions. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports photograph
We think so, just enough time to win.
Things the Packers must do to win will take more than two hands to count. We feature “Near 300 things on Winning” for the Packers on Sunday.
Of the variety of reasons or accomplishments these stories all contain, they all have issues important enough to consider.
Key players top the list, like if Aaron Rodgers’ line can keep him from getting shaken up while others call out Eddie Lacy as the key; Some list sacks, hurries and hits, along with drops, and near turnovers.
These eight are just the start, with more to come.
Improving several areas of play since the last meeting would bring results… And … Lacy is third in yards per game since the last Lions contest, and has averaged 5.1 yards per play during that time … playing with a deep painful hip bruise. We hope Eddie is healed, back to 100 percent.
“This is a team effort, and the team is no stronger than its weakest link.”
Vince Lombardi never spoke truer words. The team is the groundskeeper, the ticket cashier, and the snow-shoveling people … The team is the administration, finance, HR, PR, Public Affairs, Security, Designers, Branding, and Multi-Media employees.
And the head coach(s), the offensive, the defensive, with the units of each side, and the specialists. The doctors, the lawyers, accountants hired for special interests, and their families, who support them for what they do for the team. Then there are 53 players, the limelight. These are the stars who gain the glory or the scorn.
This organization is a textbook case, in efforts to doing the very best with what they have. To be the best they can be, period.
No coach, player, or all those mentioned can get more bang for your buck than those of this team, from head to toe. This is the reason for the Packers great success.
Near 300 members of the Packers and staff from head to toe, make it all happen. From here on in, a few things must be remembered along the way.
A Green Bay Packers fan holds up a sign that pretty much says it all. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports photograph
The people all across Wisconsin, people of the Midwest and beyond, from Seattle to Miami. Packers people all across the U.S., the Packers are truly America. Unity and oneness, that creates togetherness, which in turn brings the power of oneness, through our faith in each other.
In that common bond, we work, to bring balance to our struggles. In taking steps ahead, without doubt, malice, or false pretense, our milestones are met.
There is a way that comes within the realm of positivity. Attitudes and thoughts of a common bond, puts our grievances aside. Respecting others as-is, unity is all in the Packers way. In that oneness victory is maintained. Looking back, we can see this all with pride. We see the dedication bring rewards to those who believe.
With each passing task or new obligation, an end to our growth and development will never come. There are only the stops along the way, to smell the roses, in victory we have built.
In victory we raise the trophy high. We raise the trophy in Title Town USA. This is the season, the Green Bay Packers seal their fate, starting and ending with victory versus Detroit, for the 2014 trip with nothing less.
It ends with Detroit and starts with the playoff home field advantage.