Getty Amon-Ra St. Brown flips into the end zone for the Lions in 2022.
The Detroit Lions are looking to finish the 2021-22 season strong, and given how things have gone late this season, it doesn’t seem like a stretch to think that this is something that can play out.
Standing in the team’s way are their old rival the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay isn’t playing for much in Week 18 given they are still the class of the NFC. The Lions won’t care about that, however, and will be looking for a way to find a big win late in the year that can springboard some things for the future.
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This week, there will be no shortage of final matchups for the team to win as they try to finish off the year. What will some of these battles look like? Here’s a look.
Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. Packers’ Defensive Backs
If there’s been one player who has come on strong for the Lions lately, it’s Amon-Ra St. Brown, who’s been a stud on the field the last month and has been leading by example. St. Brown is coming off his best career game where he went for 111 yards and a score through the air and a rushing touchdown as well. When these teams last met, St. Brown was an afterthought for the offense with just 18 yards. Green Bay has been prone to giving up some yards through the air this season, and St. Brown has become a much bigger part of the offense this season down the stretch. With this in mind, St. Brown is going to have a big chance to perform on the big stage. If he has another big game, it could be the difference for the Lions in a close game.
Jared Goff vs. Packers’ Defensive Front
Jared Goff has been out the last few weeks, first thanks to COVID and then due to an injury. While he was listed as questionable, it seems likely that Goff is going to play this week. Lately, the Lions offense has been much better with Goff on the field than Tim Boyle. With this in mind, the Detroit line is going to have to find a way to keep Goff upright and consistent on the field. The Packers harassed him only once in Week 2, which means that the team is going to have to keep that same type of consistent mentality this week. Goff will need to be protected and given time to survey the field and make big plays for the Lions. It will be important to see if his line can give him the time to get this done on the field.
A.J. Dillon vs. Lions’ Defensive Front
With Green Bay starters not likely to see huge run, the backup players are going to be in major focus this week, and that means that Aaron Jones isn’t likely to see a ton of time as the game wears on. This puts a player like A.J. Dillon in perspective. The Lions will have to prove they can stop Dillon if not slow him down completely. That is what the team will have to manage in the trenches this week, so the defensive line will see some major pressure to step up. Dan Campbell has called out some young players to step up on the front, so this will be big to see if they can come to play against a top young runner that they could face plenty in the future.
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