Packers Win Close One at End

The Green Bay Packers Defense get them through a difficult stretch

By Joshua Walls

The supreme green and yellow Packers pulled out a close one late in the Motor City against division rivals Detroit Lions and their young nucleus of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

AP Photo/ Duane Burleson

This game had all the makings of a good one.  Spectators saw two defenses at their best and two teams play their hearts out from the first second of the game until the very last second.

The Lions record in no way reflects their stellar play.  This defense had the game’s best quarterback against the wall for an entire game.

On Sunday it looked as if Aaron Rodgers and his offense just did not have the ingredients to overcome the ferocious beast of a defense that we call the Lions.  They committed simple penalties, threw interceptions, were lackluster on yards and their kicker had a poor performance.

Rodgers had a few words to say after the game, such as this being one of his worst games of the season and talking about the significance of the game, “these are the ones you look back on and feel really good about.”

The Packers defense stuck to what they know best and that is playing hard.  Throughout the game, they were the driving force to keeping Green Bay in the game.  They played tight defense on Calvin Johnson throughout the second half, were able to get a pick, got into the end zone and kept Detroit to only three points in the fourth quarter.

On the other hand, the Lions did not look too bad themselves.  Matthew Stafford played a good game throughout four quarters, passing for 266 yards.  The only true issue with Stafford was the miscommunication between him and his receivers.

The Lions defense, much like that of the Packers, was exceptionally good, but they could only do so much with Aaron Rodgers’ tricky play.  Sports columnist Scott Bischoff spoke briefly about one of Aaron’s football deceptions,  “To start the second quarter, the defense got burned by a faked screen pass, as Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hit tight end Jermichael Finley with a touchdown pass.”

The Packers were able to keep their winning streak and prevail art the end of the game.  NFL FOX sports broadcaster and former New York Giant Superbowl champion, Michael Strahan probably summed up the Lions season better than anyone by saying, “they are a team who finds a way to not get it done at the end.”