Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers: Breaking Down Green Bay's Game Plan

With a week of rest behind them, the Green Bay Packers have the Detroit Lions coming to town in Week 5. Two weeks ago, the Packers lost to the Cincinnati Bengals and dropped to 1-2 on the season.

While that previous loss certainly stung, a loss to the Lions in their first divisional game of the year would certainly hurt much worse. With a win over the Chicago Bears last week, the Lions proved that they won't be a pushover.

The Packers desperately need a win this week, and today, we'll break down the game plan that they'll need to get just that.

The Competitive Edge

Quarterback

There is no doubting that Matthew Stafford has been playing solid football through four weeks, but he still doesn't compare to Aaron Rodgers—no, not even the Rodgers that threw two interceptions in Week 3. 

Advantage: Green Bay

Running Backs

Even though the Packers have improved their ground game in a huge way this season, they simply don't have the one-two punch that the Lions do. With Reggie Bush and Joique Bell, the Lions have the ability to do some serious damage on the ground. 

Advantage: Detroit

Wide Receivers

On one team, you have one of the best receivers in the league in Calvin Johnson. On the other team, you have an incredible trio of receivers with Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and James Jones. Even if Johnson is worth two points, the Packers still win 3-2. 

Advantage: Green Bay

Tight Ends 

While Jermichael Finley coming back from injury is huge for the Packers, he doesn't have more talent than the trio the Lions will trot onto the field. Brandon Pettigrew, Tony Scheffler and Joseph Fauria have the slight edge over Finley. 

Advantage: Detroit

Offensive Line

For once in a long time, the Lions have an offensive line that is playing great football. The Packers, on the other hand, have seen their offensive line fail to play up to expectations. This battle goes to Detroit. 

Advantage: Detroit

Defensive Line

Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Ziggy Ansah form one of the most impressive defensive lines in the league. While the Packers' defensive line has been much improved this year, they lack the elite talent of the Lions.

Advantage: Detroit

Linebackers

This one all depends on whether the Packers' linebackers live up to expectations. While the Lions unit has some talent, they are nothing more than a solid unit. Players like Clay Matthews, Nick Perry and Brad Jones, however, can be special for Green Bay. If they play like they should, the Packers have the edge here.

Advantage: Green Bay

Secondary Much like their offensive line, the Lions have seen improved play from their secondary. The same can't be said for the secondary of the Packers. It's definitely closer than it should be, but the Lions win here.

Advantage: Detroit

Special Teams

Mason Crosby has yet to miss a field goal in 2013, Tim Masthay is an animal and Cobb is unbelievably dangerous. Green Bay has the easy edge here.

Advantage: Green Bay

Packers Offense vs. Lions Defense

Even though the secondary for Detroit has improved, it hasn't improved to the point of being a strength. This is the area of the game where the Packers can dominate the Lions.

With Cobb, Nelson, Finley and Jones, the Packers have four receiving weapons that can be successfully used on a consistent basis. They are also capable of making big plays on a consistent basis.

While the Packers can take advantage of the Lions' secondary, they stand no chance in the trenches. Ansah, Suh and Fairely can all get pressure on the quarterback whenever they want, and Green Bay has already given up 10 sacks on the season. Don't be surprised if that total increases in a huge way after Sunday's game.

The only way the Packers offense can be successful in this game is if Aaron Rodgers can stay upright for the majority of the game. One way they could do that is to commit to the run early on. They've had success in recent weeks due to the play of James Starks and Johnathan Franklin. Furthermore, getting Eddie Lacy back from injury should also help in make the ground game successful.

As long as the Packers can slow down the ferocious pass rush of the Lions, they should be just fine offensively.

Packers Defense vs. Lions Offense

As potent as the Lions offense has been in recent years, it has way more potential this year. In fact, the Lions have the sixth-best offense in the league through four games, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

The signing of Reggie Bush in the offseason has added a completely new dimension to this offense. Not only has he boosted the ground game, but he's become a dynamic weapon for quarterback Matthew Stafford. 

The key for the Packers on defense will be figuring out how to contain Bush and Calvin Johnson. It helps that safety Morgan Burnett should be back from injury, but no one knows how rusty he'll be playing in his first game. That means players like M.D. Jennings, Sam Shields and Tramon Williams are all going to need to play spectacular football.

Where the Packers defense could really cause some trouble for the Lions offensively would be with their pass rush. If Clay Matthews and Co. can get consistent penetration into the Lions backfield, they could completely throw off whatever Detroit is trying to do on offense.

There is no doubt that the Lions offense has a huge advantage in this matchup, but Green Bay's defense hasn't even come close to playing up to its potential yet. If that changes this week, the Packers have a great shot at slowing down the Lions.

Special Teams

With the Packers releasing Jeremy Ross two weeks ago, they now need to find a new kick and punt returner. The obvious choice is Cobb, but don't be surprised if the Packers try out some youngsters before giving Cobb his old job back.

If the Packers get Cobb involved in the return game, this becomes a strength for the Packers. However, keeping Cobb only as a receiver gives a slight advantage to the Lions on special teams.

Either way, neither team relies too heavily on the play of their special teams to propel them to victory. Look for nothing too eventful to come from either of these special teams units.

Wednesday Injury Report Analysis

The Packers had a significant amount of players missing from Wednesday's practice (h/t ESPN.com).

The biggest concerns are cornerback Casey Hayward and outside linebacker Clay Matthews. The fact that Hayward is still out from an injury that occurred over the summer is rather alarming. 

Matthews' injury, while it doesn't seem as serious as Haywards, could still have a major effect on his overall play. With it keeping him limited in practice on Wednesday, though, it's definitely more than just a minor injury.

On the positive side, the Packers did get Morgan Burnett, Eddie Lacy, Johnathan Franklin, Jarrett Bush and Jermichicael Finley back from injury. They should all have a huge impact on both sides of the ball.

It'll be key to keep an eye on Matthews moving forward. Losing him for an extended period of time could be terrible news for the Packers.

The Packers Will Win If....

They can contain Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush. 

These are two of the most dynamic playmakers in the league, and both have the ability to beat you by themselves. The key will be keeping both Bush and Johnson from getting into the open field. This is where they have their biggest impact and will really hurt the Packers.

If the Packers can be effective in taking Bush and Johnson out of the game, they could be very successful on defense. And if that happens, their chances of winning go up in a huge way.