Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. The Detroit Lions landed on the wrong side of the tush push argument, but their crucial vote will provide the Green Bay Packers with more revenge-filled fuel in Week 1.
The Packers put themselves in the NFL firing line in the name of doing the right thing. They tried to take down the tush push for the betterment of the league — well, that or just trying to get revenge on an NFC rival, which is also fine.
The proposal required 24 votes to take the tush push out once and for all, but Detroit had a near-decisive vote. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Lions were among the teams to back the Eagles, causing the tush push proposal to fall two votes short of crossing the line.
It means even the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings may have fought in the Packers' corner, even if they weren't brave enough to take a stance as public as Brian Gutekunst's.
It gives the Packers even more revenge fuel when the Lions show up at Lambeau in Week 1.
Packers have yet another reason to exact revenge on Lions in Week 1
The Lions have dominated the recent rivalry, and they let everyone know about it (see: Amon-Ra St. Brown). What goes up, must come down, and the Lions have set themselves up for an almighty crash back down to earth in Week 1.
Beyond the added tush-push fuel, Dan Campbell is missing his two trusted lieutenants.
Aaron Glenn is now head coach of the New York Jets, while Ben Johnson hilariously joined the rival Bears (and took his own petty shot at the Packers).
Still reeling from their stunning playoff defeat, the Lions must enter a daunting new era against a team desperate to take them down. Detroit has to run an unfathomable road gauntlet this offseason, and Green Bay gets to set the tone at Lambeau Field in Week 1.
The Packers need to start fast and make the most of their home-heavy start to the season, and that should now include nothing more than Tucker Kraft tush-pushes against the Lions in Week 1.