Detroit Lions: Observations from Thursday Night Football
By Bob Heyrman
Thursday night football isn’t usually one of the better games played of the week, but this past Thursday’s game proved to be very entertaining. The Detroit Lions division rival Green Bay Packers locked up with the Philadelphia Eagles who the Lions defeated last Sunday.
Watching Aaron Rodgers go to work always provides a bunch of mixed feelings. I mean, whether you hate the man or not, you need to respect his talent. I understand the audience here isn’t going to love Rodgers, he’s a division rival, and he’s a future Hall of Famer. We the fans, hate our rivals and usually dislike the better players throughout the league when they are not on the teams we cheer for. It’s no different for Detroit Lions fans.
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers hosted the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday night. The Eagles were coming off of a loss to the Lions on Sunday afternoon. Things didn’t get much more comfortable for the reeling Eagles heading to a loud, ruckus Lambeau Field on a short week. The Eagles got Alshon Jeffery back after he missed Sunday’s game against the Lions.
The Eagles needed Jeffery Thursday, the teams’ number one receiver was anything but 100% healthy but Philly entered the night potentially falling to a 1-3 record, something in a division currently controlled by the Dallas Cowboys, a 1-3 start makes even a wildcard berth difficult.
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Even though it was a rare enjoyable Thursday night football game to watch, it did bring a couple of things to my attention. Detroit has struggled to run the football through its first three games of the season. Sunday the Lions couldn’t run the football at all. Kerryon Johnson carried the football 20 times for a grand total of 36 yards or not good. Just when you think things couldn’t get worse, Ty Johnson only averaged a mere 1.3 yards per carry on his 4 totes.
Well, the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Jones‘ inability to run the football Thursday night took a weight off of my shoulders. Jones carried the ball 13 times totaling 21 yards for a miserable average of 1.6 yards per carry. The only success running the football came from Aaron Rodgers who scampered for 46 yards. All Rodgers rushing yards came while he was scrambling for his life.
The Detroit Lions still need to find a way to have more success running the football, and it might just come tomorrow against the Kansas City Chiefs who are allowing a league-worst 6.2 yards per rush through the first three games of the season. (Nearly a full yard per carry worse than the next worse team Miami).
One other thing that I realized watching Thursday Night Football was that the Green Bay Packers who opened the season against the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and Denver Broncos beating all three; the Lions have a legitimate shot at winning the NFC North.
That’s a bit of a bold statement, but if the Lions who didn’t play their best Sunday can get by the Eagles, and that same team, in turn, beats the Packers in Lambeau, it bodes well for the Lions. The Packers held the Bears to a mere 3 points in week one. They kept the Vikings and Broncos to just 16 points each in weeks two & three. Then gave up 34 to a banged-up Eagles team at home.
The Detroit Lions had a lousy week one by squandering an 18 point fourth-quarter lead to eventually play to a tie with the Cardinals. Then they only allowed 10 points to Philip Rivers in week two. The Lions then allowed 24 to the same Eagles who scored 34 on the Packers.
Things will undoubtedly sort themselves out over the next four weeks. The Lions have a difficult task tomorrow with the Chiefs, and if they can come away with a win they will not only remain undefeated, they will stay in first place in the North.
The Lions will then have a bye week, allowing them to have two weeks to prepare for the Packers. After the Packers, the Lions get the Vikings and Giants. This part of the schedule will indeed dictate how well the Detroit Lions chances of winning the North will go.
Related Story. Lions struggle with running game early in the season. light
Now, if the Lions get blown away by KC and then lay an egg against the Packers after having those two weeks to prepare my tune will certainly drastically change.