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The last time the Detroit Lions beat the Green Bay Packers was back in December 2010. The Lions were a dismal 2-10 going into the game, whereas the Packers were 8-4. This Packers team went on to win the Super Bowl, but it was the Lions that were victorious in this particular game. In fact, the Lions won by a shocking score of 7-3, and this victory propelled them to four straight wins to finish off the season.
A big part of the Lions' victory was knocking Aaron Rodgers out of the game with a concussion. But don't let that mislead you. Even before he got hurt, Rodgers was only 7-of-11 for 46 yards and one interception. The Lions were not getting torched by him one bit. In fact, they were shutting down the Packers' offense for the most part, and that continued when Matt Flynn entered the game. Green Bay finished with only a total of 258 yards.
A defensive performance like that hasn't exactly been a common happening for the Lions, especially against high-powered offenses. So what did the Lions do so well on that day against Green Bay? They put pressure on Rodgers and later Flynn. The Lions may have only had four sacks, but pressure put the secondary in a position to succeed. Also, of course, it knocked Rodgers out of the game.
For the Lions on Sunday, they need to put constant pressure on Rodgers if they even want to think about winning. Even then, the Lions also need to make sure they finish plays when they do get pressure on Rodgers. He is very good at avoiding pressure and extending plays, and the Lions can't afford to miss out on chances to take him down when they present themselves.
While this may be stating the obvious, the blueprint is there for the Lions to beat the Packers. It just comes down to them executing, and I'd much rather the Lions get into a defensive struggle than have to try and keep up in a shootout.
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