Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions: Complete Week 3 Preview for Detroit

It's too early to say the Detroit Lions are at a crossroads when they welcome the Green Bay Packers to Ford Field for a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.

But that doesn't mean this game wouldn't be a huge boost for morale inside and outside the locker room.

Detroit's disappointing performance in Week 2 has left a bad and familiar taste in the mouth of its fanbase. And regardless of the quotes coming from Allen Park, the team's psyche would take a hit if they fail in similar fashion against their divisional menace.

Every team in the NFC North is 1-1, and it's highly unlikely that a Week 3 loss is going to cost Detroit the division they haven't won since Mel Gibson was chasing down Redcoats. Yet, in-division record is the second tiebreaker after head-to-head results, so there is a leg up to be taken against the reigning champ.

This isn't a must-win, but it is a must-watch, so click through to find out everything you need to know ahead of Sunday's showdown.

Lions Week 2 Game Recap

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

The included picture might not be worth a thousand words, but it's worth 13 points at a minimum. Last Sunday's game was a throwback performance to all of the underwhelming Detroit teams of yesteryear.

Last year's league-leader in drops would have been proud of the six passes put on the ground—not to mention the two missed field goals and three turnovers.

The real shame was the final score of 24-7 denigrates another strong defensive performance.

Detroit limited Carolina to a puny 2.6 yards per carry and the secondary played well until injuries forced it to fall back into a zone. Once Cam Newton wasn't dealing with extra rushers and could poke holes in the more relaxed coverage, the game started to turn.

Plus, the defense tired as the turnovers kept them on the field for long stretches with just one play of relief in between drives.

The questions from that game will certainly carry over to this week as Matthew Stafford will need to work his progressions to move the chains. It will also help if his running backs and receivers hold onto the rock, both before and after the catch.

And of particular importance will be the defensive scheme since a healthy Aaron Rodgers will engineer the passing attack.

News and Notes

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

The Cornerback Carousal

Injuries have ravaged Detroit's nickelback depth, forcing defensive coordinator Teryl Austin to play Cassius Vaughn inside, which is not a position he's comfortable with. Or very good in.

While a few different corners—including Champ Bailey—worked out for Detroit, the front office finally settled on Danny Gorrer to help plug the hole. Kyle Meinke of Mlive.com broke down what made Gorrer so attractive.

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He's familiar with the scheme, after playing under Detroit defensive coordinator Teryl Austin in Baltimore. And he's versatile enough to play outside or inside, which provides some immediate insurance should the Lions sustain more injuries to their short-handed secondary.

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Head coach Jim Caldwell also threw in that he will "tackle well," which definitely boosted his stock. Gorrer has spent the last three years in Baltimore, Seattle and Tampa Bay. He allowed two touchdowns while picking off one pass and defending five others during his sporadic playing time.

There's no way to know if Gorrer can stem the bleeding at the position, but the recent promotion of Mohammed Seisay from the practice squad isn't the answer.

Kicker Conundrum

The path to Jason Hanson's replacement has been long, and a couple misses by rookie Nate Freese last week (both from 49 yards) hinted that the journey hasn't been completed.

The Lions did bring in three veteran kickers (Rob Bironas, Alex Henery and Garrett Hartley) for tryouts, but as head coach Jim Caldwell told Meinke, the Lions are standing by their man.

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'At this point in time, he is our guy,' Caldwell said before Wednesday's practice. 'I think (he's) a young guy who has potential. But just like anything else in our business, it's performance business. And we all certainly understand that thing, and he understands it as well.'

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Patience could pay off considering Freese's accurate history (20-of-20 his senior year playing in the blustery Northeast), and Detroit has benefited once from an act of restraint. As Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com pointed out on Twitter, even Hanson missed half of his first six field goals.

Bush Restructures

Not a lot has been made out of Reggie Bush restructuring his deal because it isn't likely that it gave Detroit that much wiggle room.

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#Lions restructured Reggie Bush's contract today for cap purposes, I'm told. Still signed through 2016. Making $3.5 million this season.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 18, 2014"

The only conjecture to be made is what the extra allotment will be spent on. The Lions are feeling the pinch at cornerback and kicker, and could use that extra bit of grease to lock up an upgrade at either position.

For what it's worth, I don't see the Lions adding another right tackle. They will eventually get Waddle back, and nobody coming off the street is going to have Garrett Reynolds' or Cornelius Lucas' understanding of the protection calls. 

Injury Report

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Player	Position	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Status
Travis Lewis	LB	NP	NP	NP	Out
Cassius Vaughn	CB	LP	NP	NP	Out
LaAdrian Waddle	OT	NP	NP	NP	Out
Montell Owens	FB	LP	LP	LP	Doubtful
James Ihedigbo	SS	LP	LP	LP	Doubtful
Ezekiel Ansah	DE	NP	NP	LP	Questionable
Nick Fairley	DT	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
George Johnson	DE	LP	NP	LP	Questionable
Joique Bell	RB	LP	LP	LP	Probable
Don Carey	S	FP	FP	FP	Probable

*Injury Statuses are sourced from DetroitLions.com

The Lions are paying the piper for a preseason of good health as 10 players have landed on the team's injury report.

For the first time this season, it looks like Don Carey will hit the field, which should help a beleaguered secondary stay afloat. Carey is versatile enough to play the nickel spot or could start at strong safety if Ihedigbo isn't ready to go.

Bell's presence seems to be a bit of a formality. There's nothing to suggest his knee injury is serious and Reggie Bush's absence helps soften that blow.

There was little chance that Waddle was going to play this week considering he never made it onto the practice field. The combination of Garrett Reynolds and Cornelius Lucas will hold down the right side, causing a serious concern for Detroit this week.

As for Ansah, Fairley and Johnson, that's a game-changer if even one of them is out considering the need to get after Aaron Rodgers to protect the secondary. As Tim Twentyman noted, Larry Webster will make the active roster if one of the defensive ends can't go, but the fact that all three finished the game last week and participated in practice Friday bodes well for Sunday.

X-Factors and Matchups to Watch

Bill Fundaro/Associated Press

OTs Garrett Reynolds and Cornelius Lucas vs. Clay Matthews

There's no getting around the right tackle, unless you're Clay Matthews. The right tackle issue will continue this week against one of the more talented pass-rushers in the league.

However, tight end Brandon Pettigrew and fullback Jed Collins will pitch in, and Green Bay's lack of a rushing defense means Detroit can offset Matthews' aggression. But it's still a sore spot that the Packers will probe.

CB Darius Slay vs. WR Jordy Nelson

These two won't square off on every down, but the battle will be intense when they do.

Nelson comes in as the league's most productive receiver through two weeks. Slay hasn't been slouching either, having posted the 10th highest coverage grade among cornerbacks.

Green Bay also boasts Randall Cobb, so the winner of this battle won't determine how the Packers offense performs. But a stick Slay would go a long way towards taming the beast.

DC Teryl Austin vs. QB Aaron Rodgers

It takes a village to stop Aaron Rodgers. Or something like that.

The chief of the Detroit defense will need to put all of his pawns in the proper position in order to succeed. Rodgers is too good to be beaten by just a few players. It will take a well-coordinated effort and a lot less zone coverage than last week for the Lions to keep the Packers under 30 points, which is a magic number in this game.

Lions' X-Factor of the Week: RB Joique Bell

This is how confident I am that Bell will play, and how terrible Green Bay's rushing defense has been.

The Packers lost nose tackle B.J. Raji before the season started. His enormous absence has allowed opponents to average 176.5 yards per game. That's 16 more yards per game than that historically horrific 2013 Bears defense.

Bell will find plenty of room to run between the tackles, particularly behind Larry Warford. Not only will he rack up yards and probably points, he'll keep Rodgers, Nelson and Cobb on the sideline.

Prediction

MIKE MCCARN/Associated Press

I understand why so many people are picking the Packers.

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A. Rodgers is 9-1 vs. the Lions with an 11.5 avg point differential. He missed the second half in the 2010 loss. Yet, the Lions are favored.

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) September 16, 2014"

However, it isn't nearly that simple.

For starters, the Lions have three quarters of their secondary ready to rock. Darius Slay and Rashean Mathis have been capable and the defense as a whole has tackled well. Those two factors will limit the short passes for large gains the Packers need to avoid Detroit's pass rush.

And that's what this game really boils down to. Detroit has a defense that can at a minimum slow down Green Bay by stuffing the run—the Lions have the second-best rushing defense—and forcing Rodgers to consistently pick up too many yards on third down.

That will keep the Packers from keeping pace with a Detroit offense ready to right the ship against a defense that not even Rich Rodriguez could love.

Score: Detroit 38, Green Bay 28

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu. 

All grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus and require a subscription.