The Green Bay Packers have their work cut out for them this weekend as the host arguably the hottest team in the NFL. The Detroit Lions lead the NFC North by a half-game over the Packers but are blowing away the rest of the league in offensive production and overall point differential.
They're also doing it in a way that's embarrassing their opponents, according to one Packers defender, and he doesn't like it. Thankfully, Xavier McKinney is playing as well as any defensive player in the NFL right now, and he was just honored as the NFC's Defensive Player of the Month for October. With that under his belt and after making game-changing plays repeatedly this season, McKinney is one of the players that the Packers will count on to get some big stops against this high-powered Detroit offense.
That's easier said than done, however. Jared Goff is playing the best football of his career, particularly under pressure. The once-reliable approach of simply applying pressure isn't working; this Packers pass rush will need to get him on the ground with regularity during Sunday's game, which should take place in somewhat sloppy weather conditions.
Maybe that will be a great equalizer. Or maybe not, as Detroit seems built to play in ugly weather thanks to their dynamic rushing attack. But not all is lost; the Packers faced a similarly tough matchup a year ago on Thanksgiving Day and won in Detroit. We'll just have to tune in to see if Green Bay can be the team embarrassing their opponents on Sunday instead of being on the receiving end.
Former Packers coach Mike Holmgren reaches Hall of Fame semifinalist stage | Packers.com
The hall split up coaches and contributors this year, and Holmgren makes the cut as one of nine candidates for a single spot in this year's class.
Packers safety Xavier McKinney says Lions will try to embarrass Packers | Packersnews.com
McKinney doesn't seem to be a fan of the Lions' approach, suggesting that they run up the score on their opponents.
For Packers to beat Lions, they must step up on offense - ESPN
In order to avoid getting embarrassed, though, the Packers offense will need to play better than it has in the last two games, even though they managed to put 30 points on the board in Jacksonville.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur thinks Jared Goff is playing QB at elite level | Packers Wire
Goff's efficiency numbers are arguably the league's best, and he's playing better under pressure than ever before.
Lions-Packers preview: Can Green Bay slow Jared Goff and the red-hot Detroit offense? - The Athletic
It probably comes down to forcing takeaways and getting stops in the red zone -- which are not exactly strategies that should come as a surprise.
Packers Center Josh Myers Might Face Lions With One Healthy Hand | SI.com
Myers' injury is to his left (non-dominant) hand, but he can't seem to carry out simple day-to-day tasks right now, so it's going to be tough for him to go on Sunday. If he doesn't, look for Elgton Jenkins to slide over and Jordan Morgan to be back in the starting lineup.
Typing monkey would be unable to produce 'Hamlet' within the lifetime of the universe, study finds | Phys.org
Sorry, folks -- while the theory is mathematically true, there isn't enough time for it to actually happen.