Lions vs. Packers: Why Detroit's Pass Rush Will Give Green Bay Fits

What do you get when you add a banged-up Green Bay Packers offensive line with a dynamic, deadly Detroit Lions pass rush? The answer is struggles for the Packers’ vaunted offense.

Those are just a couple of reasons why this Detroit defense will bother Aaron Rodgers and his backups in this game. They definitely aren’t the only ones.

The Packers have no motivation to win this game, having already clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. As a result, many of their key players will either not play at all or will get far less playing time than normal.

The circumstances surrounding this game point to a Lions’ pass rush that is extremely successful.

Packers’ Offensive Line

One of the biggest problems the Packers had in their lone loss against the Kansas City Chiefs this season was the injuries they incurred on the offensive line. Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga, listed as doubtful for this week’s game, strained his knee in that game against Kansas City.

Bulaga’s backup, Derek Sherrod, came into that game only to break his leg and end up on the injured reserve after just a quarter or two of playing time. Left tackle Chad Clifton is expected to play this week after being out since Oct. 9. Clifton, who first went out with a hamstring injury, injured his back while trying to rehab the hamstring.

These injuries on the offensive line, while not completely debilitating, make the Packers much less effective against the Lions, who have defensive ends Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch along with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh—all three being extremely difficult to block by themselves.

Motivation

The truth of the matter is that Detroit has a massive advantage as far as motivation goes. Detroit has the opportunity to clinch the fifth seed in the playoffs with their first win at Green Bay since 1991. The Packers have absolutely nothing to gain from winning this contest.

As a result, the Packers are not playing many of their starters. Greg Jennings, a safety for Rodgers when he’s in trouble, will not be playing. Randall Cobb, wide receiver and dynamic return man, is out, which will limit the Packers offensively by hurting their field position. The Packers' leading rusher will also be out in James Starks. That may hurt worst of all, because the Lions’ previous opponents have proven that their defense (26th in the NFL in rush defense) can  be negated at times by a strong rushing attack.

It also doesn’t help that Aaron Rodgers will not play the entire game—if he even plays at all. Coach Mike McCarthy has said that he wants both Matt Flynn and Graham Harrell to get playing time in this game. Rodgers has been great at beating pass rushes this season, but Flynn and Harrell are low on experience.

Defense is about emotion and playing harder than the guy across from you. That is especially true when it comes to the pass rush. Without the players listed above, Green Bay won’t be able to contain a Lions defensive line that is fighting for that fifth seed.

The Lions are Fierce

I covered a bit above about how the Lions will be extremely motivated to win this game. Make no mistake about it: This defensive front will want to abuse this crippled Packer offensive line and put Rodgers and anyone else in the backfield on their back.

Ndamukong Suh played a big role in why the Lions were unable to hang with the Packers the first time the two teams played. He’s a fiery guy and that’s a big part of why he’s an elite defensive tackle in the NFL. However, he must be able to control that fire better than he did in the last matchup. Suh was tossed in the third quarter that day for stomping the right arm of Packer lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. That miscue was part of a third quarter in which the Packers scored 17 of their 27 points.

That mean streak that Suh has is vital to this team. He, Avril and Vanden Bosch all have a bit of it, but he’s clearly the leader. He’s learned from that last Packer game, and while he’ll continue to play mean, he’ll lead his team better by controlling it this time.

Not good for the Packers, who benefited greatly from his tossing in the first game.

The Packers will struggle against this defensive pass rush on Sunday. Their banged-up offensive line, the key subtractions from their lineup and their lack of motivation for a win will combine with the vaunted Lions pass rush to create a perfect storm.