Hock Who? Lions Dominate Packers For Fifth Straight Loss In 2022
Yes, you read that right. The 1-6 Detroit Lions beat NFC North rival the Green Bay Packers by six points. The Lions were home underdogs by three and a half points. The turf of Ford Field received the assist as five players on the Packers were injured during the game. Five key players. Detroit and Green Bay didn’t move in the standings, and with Chicago also losing, no one moved in the North. Speaking of the Chicago Bears, the Lions will face off at Soldier Field against the horrendous Bears. The Bears have a slight edge at home, but it should be an easy win to make it back-to-back victories.
Lions Tight Ends Step Up
If you missed out on the juicy news last week, tight end T.J. Hockenson was traded away to the Minnesota Vikings along with a pair of fourth-round picks. The Lions received a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick. This was a bold move for the Lions as Hockenson was one of the top three options for quarterback Jared Goff on offense.
The Lions had tight ends Brock Wright, James Mitchell, and Shane Zylstra active to replace Hockenson. Wright was seen on the field but was unable to get a reception. However, both Mitchell and Zylstra recorded touchdowns. They were the only two players to score against the Packers, and somehow, they were wide open, so it was a simple game of pass and catch. Moving forward, I wouldn’t be surprised if James Mitchell became the top tight end option for Jared Goff. Even though he was only targeted twice, he corralled both, one being the touchdown catch.
What Happened To Rodgers And The Packers?
The Packers have not looked like themselves this year, and it doesn’t seem like anything will change going forward. The Packers’ front office failed to make a trade for a wide receiver before the trade deadline, which further ticked off the fan base. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been on the same page with his receivers, except for Allen Lazard. One receiver won’t do the trick, even against the Lions’ soft secondary.
The Packers moved the ball well on their first-half drives but due to two poor passes by Rodgers in the red zone. The Honolulu blue came away with two takeaways. Rodgers and head coach Matt LaFleur were very frustrated during the game. In a game where Rodgers throws for almost 300 yards and is the leading rusher on the team, you would’ve thought that the Packers won by a lot, but the three takeaways helped secure the victory for the Lions.
Lions 2022 NFL Season
After the win against the Packers, the Lions moved from last in the NFC to second to last; they moved up a half of a game on the Carolina Panthers. Overall, the Lions are in a three-way tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders for the third-to-last team in the league. So, should the Lions continue to play for wins, or should they evaluate their talent and continue to rebuild next year?
Playoff odds for the Lions this season are very slim, so there’s no real point in going after wins. I understand wanting to beat up on the NFC North teams or at least try to, but it should be time to plan for next season. Detroit will need to assess the needs of the defense and apply some draft capital to fortify it. Detroit has been in many shootouts this season and can’t halt every team as they did against Green Bay.
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