Packers prove they are nowhere near competing in embarrassing loss to Lions

The Detroit Lions are everything we thought they were. Unfortunately, so are the Packers.

Detroit is a balanced and disciplined football team. Despite heading outdoors in tough conditions for the first time all season, Dan Campbell's squad arrived, played its style of football, rarely made mistakes, and took advantage when Green Bay imploded.

The Packers? Everything we've already seen far too often. Nobody beats this team better than it beats itself. They had 10 accepted penalties in the contest, twice as many as the Lions, including many at critical moments. The Lions protected the football, but Jordan Love gifted them a touchdown on an unacceptable pick-six.

All the Lions had to do was play their style without mistakes, and the Packers would make enough unforced errors to hand them the game.

It's the difference between a contender and a pretender, and the Packers have a lot of ground to make up during their bye week.

Packers proved they are a mile off competing for a Super Bowl until they find an answer

The Packers can't blame injuries, as the Lions have overcome many. They certainly can't blame the conditions—this was supposed to be an advantage.

They are making the same mistakes every week. The Packers had five drops, including a touchdown, unforgivable pre-snap penalties, and lost the turnover battle. They keep doing it every week, and good teams don't let you get away with it. Green Bay survived against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, but it takes turnover-free, balanced football to overcome the best teams in the league.

They got what they deserved against the Lions.

LaFleur's team enters its bye week with a lot to answer. It's an opportunity to get healthy, but the Packers have a lot to figure out. Until they can stop beating themselves, they have no chance of defeating the best teams in the conference when the games count the most.

Love's turnovers are becoming a huge problem. He has a league-high 10 interceptions in only seven games, and his pick-six against the Lions effectively put the game out of reach.

This team has the talent, but they have no shot at making a run until they clean up the mistakes that have hurt them all season. The Lions showed them what it takes to put together a complete performance and find a way to win.

Until they figure things out, the Packers can't consider themselves serious Super Bowl contenders. The bye comes at the right time.

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