Early look at the Detroit Lions 2017 opponents: Green Bay Packers

Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL from the day he took over for Brett Favre. He has a career passer rating of 104.1, has thrown double digit interceptions only twice, and has a career touchdown to interception ratio over 4:1. He is a perennial MVP candidate, and probably the NFL’s second best quarterback right now. The Green Bay Packers offense is almost 100% reliant on Rodgers stellar play. He absolutely shreds the Lions.

Rodgers has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns once against the Lions. He has completed less than 60% of his passes only three times against the Lions. Rodgers has a passer rating of 109.4 with 66.5% completions, 4,058 yards, 34 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions against the Lions. He has put up an MVP season in those 16 games. The Packers are 13-3 vs. the Lions with Rodgers under center.

In the Lions three wins, Rodgers has gone 39-99 for 541 yards with 3 touchdowns and one interception. While football is a team game, it is fair to say that the key to winning against the Green Bay Packers is limiting Aaron Rodgers effectiveness. That’s something more easily said than done.

Wide Receivers

Jordy Nelson is an aging superstar for the Packers. Nelson gained 167 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions in 2016, most of which came in the first half of the week three contest. Prior to that his last 100 yard game against the Lions was in 2011. The Lions have also historically been able to handle Randall Cobb. Cobb has been held under 40 yards in five of his nine meetings with the Lions, reaching 100 yards only once.

The Packers third receiver will almost undoubtedly be Davante Adams who has also had limited success against the Lions. He has managed 40 or more yards against the Lions only one time in his career. The Packers drafted two receivers in 2017 but late round rookies seldom have much impact in their first season.

Tight End

The Packers signed a big fish in free agency this offseason. Martellus Bennett is one of the NFL’s best all around tight ends. He will have a positive effect on the team’s running and passing games. He is a better receiver than the player he is replacing, Jared Cook moved on to the Raiders.

Bennett is also a much better blocker than Cook, or the Packers blocking specialist Richard Rodgers. Rodgers remains on the team, he and  Lance Kendricks will likely split time behind Bennett. Kendricks is the better receiver of the two, and would likely take the starting role if Bennett missed time.