The Battle In the Trenches Will Define the Lions-Packers Rematch

The showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions this week could determine the winner of the NFC North — and potentially who receives a first-round bye in the NFL playoffs. It’ll undoubtedly be a headline game for the NFL this week.

Detroit is down a lot of its preferred starters this week. The Lions have 18 players on IR, 13 of whom play on the defensive side of the ball. They will likely be without Taylor Decker, their star left tackle.

“I don’t feel as good about Decker for this week,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said.

While the Packers may be catching the Lions at the right time, it will still be a challenging matchup that will likely come down to the play in the trenches.

Offensive line play will be crucial for the Packers. Interestingly, they have had very few games in challenging road environments this season. They faced the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil on a neutral site to start the year.

However, their following road games were against the Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Rams, and Jacksonville Jaguars, which all tend to be locations where local fanbases don’t tend to show out and allow for friendlier environments for opposing teams. The only real hostile environment they have faced was at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears.

A hostile road environment can help a home team in numerous ways. Primarily, it creates a loud environment that can force false starts for the opposing offense. The Packers are tied for having the 12th-most false start penalties. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich discussed how Green Bay will lean on their silent cadence to communicate in Detroit and avoid unwanted penalties. Stenavich noted it’s an area of constant emphasis for the Packers.

“It’s one thing we really practice a lot, our silent cadence,” Stenavich said. “Even in training camp we have at least once a week where we are working on silent cadence just to make sure we’re on top of it for these situations right here.”

While the Lions may be banged up on defense, they still pose a formidable threat on offense, even if they are missing Decker. Without Decker, the Lions still have a strong offensive line with three players ranking in the top five at their respective positions according to Pro Football Focus: Penei Sewell (fourth at tackle), Frank Ragnow (second at center), and Kevin Zeitler (second at guard). They also have the dynamic duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery at running back, which should still be able to drive their offense.

Green Bay’s defense will have to rely upon its front remaining gap-disciplined and their linebackers flying to the football. In recent weeks, the Packers have succeeded, limiting the Miami Dolphins to 39 rush yards and the San Francisco 49ers to 44.

Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has noticed a shift in his unit’s run defense, saying, “Our D-line is doing such a good job of staying square, using their hands, getting off blocks. Guys aren’t just running up the field. I think our linebackers have a better feel of where they are supposed to be within the scheme with the defensive linemen.”

It also shows on film. Here’s a great look at one play for a tackle for loss in the Dolphins game:

It’s an illustrative play for a few reasons. One, you can see the push that Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt get to block off any chance of a cutback. Then, Wilson can set the edge, and Walker and Gary occupy the space inside. All three get off their blocks quickly, giving the running back little opportunity to do anything.

Hafley also emphasized that he’s enjoying the harder play style he sees. In terms of run defense, Hafley noted, “We are running to the ball, and there are multiple people to the ball. … [W]hen you turn on our tape right now, and you freeze it, you see multiple guys around the football.”

That will have to be the case again against Detroit’s potent rushing attack, and it appears Green Bay’s run defense is peaking at the right time.

The game will likely be decided in the trenches on both sides of the ball Thursday. The Packers have prepared and seen improvements. Facing the Lions is coming at the right time to see if these positive trends are likely to continue into the playoffs.