Every week during the regular season Tim Twentyman will answer 10 good questions from his X account @ttwentyman in a feature we call "10 Questions with Twentyman."
20man: For me, it's really the entire linebacking corps. The Lions are supplementing their edge with some journeymen and practice squad players to mixed results, but I've thought the linebacker corps has stepped up to fill the void the most. That unit has recorded four sacks, five hurries and four quarterback hits over the last two games. It's required a little more blitz calls from defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, but it's been a good supplement for Hutchinson's absence.
I also like what Levi Onwuzurike has done the last couple games showing off some versatility to play inside, outside and getting some production.
When we talk about a player who can do a little more, James Houston comes to mind, but they've only given him 28 reps the last two games. He's produced two hurries and a quarterback hit. They could use more from him, when he gets his opportunities.
20man: It will be a factor. The forecast calls for temperatures in the low 50s (not bad), but steady rain to the tune of 70 percent in the afternoon, shifting to 90 percent in the evening. This is the first time the Lions will play outdoors this season. They only play outdoors three times all year (at Chicago Week 16 & at San Francisco Week 17).
Players have to think about cleats and footing, and there's also expected to be consistent winds in the 10-20 MPH range, which can affect the passing and kicking games. The team that establishes the run the best or stops the run has the edge in a game like this.
20man: It's a good running team in Green Bay, for sure. Their 1,255 rushing yards are the most through eight games in a Packers season since 1971. They rank fifth in rushing coming in (156.9).
But for me, it's the threat of the big plays in the passing game, especially if Jordan Love or Malik Willis has time for the receivers to get down the field. Green Bay has 29 pass plays of 20-plus yards and their six touchdown passes of 20-plus yards are second most in the league.
If Love plays, his 32 attempts that travel at least 21 yards in the air are the third most and he's completed half of those with a 109.4 rating on them. He'll throw some picks, but they connect on big plays in the passing game too. It's a great test this week for Detroit's secondary.
20man: Wet, slippery conditions against a defense that leads the NFL in takeaways (19) and has 12 different players who have gotten to the quarterback for sacks. It's a valid concern, especially coming off the two fumbles last week Detroit was fortunate to jump on. Jared Goff is going to have to be really good in the pocket and he was aware of that when we talked to him Wednesday.
"Yeah, just my depth in the pocket," he said. "I've got to be better and just make sure I'm stepping up in the pocket and having good depth, and then getting rid of the ball on time ... I certainly have my part in it in keeping myself upright and getting the ball out of my hands."
20man: This game has a big Amon-Ra St. Brown performance written all over it. The Packers rank 19th in pass defense and I just see a cold, rainy, windy game being conducive to Goff getting the ball out of his hands quick to his trusty and crafty slot receiver.
Before last Sunday's two-catch performance, St. Brown had a three-catch game for just 13 yards in the opener against the Rams. He followed that up with a 11-catch, 119-yard afternoon Week 2 against the Bucs. Something tells me St. Brown will want to be heavily involved in a big game in front of a national audience.
20man: The Lions are playing really good complementary football this season. Last week was a great example with the offense (5-of-5 in red zone), defense (four takeaways) and special teams (all involved) having a big impact on that victory. This team can win in a multitude of ways with all three phases capable of stepping up and being the hero. Not many teams can say that.
Also, the three most important statistics to winning in the NFL are turnovers, third-down efficiency and red-zone performance. The Lions rank in the Top 10 in all three categories both offensively and defensively. They do the most important things to winning football games well on both sides of the football.
20man: There are three names clearly ahead of the rest in that conversation heading into Week 9. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, and Goff.
Goff is on some kind of stretch the last month-plus. He has a passer rating of 125-or-higher in four consecutive games and last week became the fourth quarterback since 2000 with at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 110-or-higher in six consecutive games, joining Aaron Rodgers (11 straight games in 2011), Tom Brady (six in 2010) and Patrick Mahomes (six in 2018).
In his past five contests, Goff has completed 88-of-106 pass attempts (83 percent) with a 146.5 passer rating. Sunday against Green Bay, he can set the marks for the highest completion percentage and highest passer rating by a player in a six-game span within a season in NFL history.
Yeah, I'd say he's firmly in the MVP conversation nearing the halfway point of the season.
20man: The deadline is approaching on Nov. 5, but I still think Detroit adds to their edge depth before then.
In terms of Ifeatu Melifonwu, the team placed him on Reserve/Injured on Sept. 28, which means he had to miss the next four games. He was eligible to return this week vs. Green Bay, but the fact that the team hasn't started his 21-day practice window means we still might not see him for a bit. It's an ankle injury for Melifonwu and we don't know many details beyond that.
20man: Sam LaPorta caught all six of his targets last week for 48 yards and a touchdown. There's no injury there, it's more just there's one football and a lot of mouths to feed with this offense. If Detroit was struggling offensively or not scoring and LaPorta wasn't a bigger part of the mix, there would be an issue, but they lead the NFL in scoring (33.4).
The other element of this is opponents saw the tape of last year and he's certainly not sneaking up on anyone. He's part of the game plan to stop and with that comes tougher sledding.
This offense exploits the best matchup and takes what the defense gives them. Any given Sunday, any of their weapons can have a big game. On the flip side, any given Sunday guys can have a quiet afternoon. A great example is St. Brown's two catches for seven yards against the Titans last week. LaPorta will be fine, and he'll have some big days before it's all said and done this season.
20man: I know there's a ton of trust there between Goff and Tim Patrick. Goff loves the big frame and huge catch radius to throw to. With Jameson Williams serving the second of his two-game suspension this week, I do think Patrick – along with Kalif Raymond – are this offense's best vertical threats against the Packers and I would expect a shot or two their way Sunday.
