Packers vs. Lions: 3 reasons why this game has playoff implications

3. Back-to-back defeats would be worrying trend

We can talk about playoff percentages and the schedule ahead, but if the Packers lose two in a row, that enough is reason to be concerned.

Both games, at New Orleans and versus Detroit, were considered winnable going in and Green Bay would’ve entered both as favorites. Sure, the Saints are a talented team, but their 26-7 defeat this week to the Carolina Panthers shows they are far from perfect.

There’s no shame in losing to the Saints, but rather the way the Packers lost. They were outplayed in every department. Losing 38-3 in the season opener is a concern.

But Aaron Rodgers is right. It is only one game. If the Packers impress on Monday night and show Week 1 was just an anomaly, a rare blip, then all will be well. But if they follow up last week’s crushing defeat with a home loss against the Lions, alarm bells will be ringing.

Even if we forget about the previous two points in this article, for a team with the talent the Packers have to start out 0-2 with the opponents they’ve faced, it would be a cause for concern.

Hopefully the Packers start fast and put together a similar Week 2 performance to the one we saw at the same point last season against the Lions.

Is it a must-win? No. But a loss would be a real concern for this team moving forward.