If the Packers 27-15 beat down of the Lions showed anything, it showed that when the Packers are in a big game, they play like it. For a week twelve regular season game, the stakes couldn’t have been much higher.
The brash Lions playing for respect and to get back in the division race against the Packers playing to continue their 16 game winning streak and send a message to their up and coming rivals.
Message sent.
The Packers beat the Lions eight ways to Sunday. 24-zip starting the fourth quarter. Happy Thanksgiving Detroit. Looks like 1962 is still your claim to fame.
The Packers showed that the Lions are not a threat to them, and at this point I’m not sure who is. The Cowboys looked very ordinary and the 49ers were manhandled by the Ravens. Complacency is the Packers worst enemy.
I think the Packers will remain focused until home field is wrapped up, which could easily be before the Packers’ last two games against the Bears and Lions. Is 16-0, or as head coach Mike McCarthy called the “bonus goal”, worth risking Aaron Rodgers to injury?
The Bears and especially the Lions would love to knock Rodgers out and kill the Packers chances to repeat as champions. To me, the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal and the Packers should forget about the bonus goal.
But as far as 12-0 goes, I still think the Packers are in for their toughest battle so far against the Giants. Even though the Giants are playing on a short week and the Packers have a long rest.
The Packers have been great at handling adversity on the field, now, with Erick Walden’s arrest we’ll see how they handle it off the field. I think Walden should be cut or removed from the roster in some fashion immediately. Out of sight and out of mind.
The Packers are 11-0 but nothing is locked up and now Walden’s arrest will be a big distraction. McCarthy’s job just got a helluva lot harder.
Walden was the guest on The Mike McCarthy show last week and McCarthy called him a “core player”. Really? Not anymore.
I’m glad the players have off until next Tuesday, things will settle down a bit by then and the Packers will have time to address the issue internally. I would suspend him for the remainder of the season at minimum.
If handled correctly this shouldn’t be a long term distraction and on the field the Packers can absorb the loss if Bishop and Hawk aren’t seriously hurt. Walden had a few good games but had Zombo not got hurt he probably would have ended up the starter.
For now the Packers are 11-0 and are not letting up. The defense is getting better and the offense is still ridiculous. I never said they peaked, I just raised the question. Thursday the Packers answered it.