Packers 2017 schedule release: Game-by-game predictions
By Kenn Korb
Week 17: @ Detroit Lions
It took until the last game of the 2016 regular season to determine who would take the NFC North crown, and Green Bay finished off a return from a 4-6 record to division leaders with a win in Detroit.
It might not be as easy this time around.
Detroit has been considered a tough place for the Packers to get wins during Aaron Rodgers’ tenure as the Packers starting quarterback. The team has controlled the overall record handily in that time (14-4), but are only 6-3 on the road and have struggled to a decent portion of those games.
Rodgers was concussed in a 7-3 loss in 2010. In 2012, they eked out a 24-20 win after trailing 17-14 going into the fourth quarter. Without Rodgers in 2013 (due to his collarbone injury), Detroit blew Green Bay off their field on Thanksgiving 40-10. A 19-7 loss in early 2014 left the the offense facing questions with a 1-2 record (though it did spawn R-E-L-A-X, so there’s that). In 2015 they needed that magical Hail Mary to save another loss. The 2016 Week 17 win wasn’t even easy, as the Packers couldn’t get much going until the second half.
In terms of this matchup, Detroit won’t be as easy to defend this time around. They have upgraded their offensive line with the moves to grab Ricky Wagner and former Packer T.J. Lang in free agency, so the right side of the unit could be much harder to get through. Add in Matthew Stafford no longer dealing with a hand injury (which clearly impacted his ability to throw over the last stretch of 2016) and the likely addition of at least one more receiving weapon to go with the duo of Golden Tate and Marvin Jones Jr., and it could be a long day.
We should have a game here where the offenses hold the ball for long drives and eventual scores, and it will be decided by whichever side ends up with the final drive. In this case, I think that will be Detroit, who grabs a late field goal as time expires, leaving Packers fans with a bad taste in their mouth and another ugly story from a visit to Motown.
Lions 24, Packers 23 (11-5)
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