The Lions end the regular season Sunday by hosting the league's top team, division foe Green Bay, at Ford Field. The Packers have secured the No. 1 overall seed despite the outcome Sunday, but Detroit's still expecting the Packers' best effort.
Here's what the Packers had to say heading into Sunday's matchup at Ford Field:
1. It appears nobody who is healthy is getting Sunday's game off for the Packers.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said this week that despite having the No. 1 seed for the NFC playoffs clinched, the expectation is for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and other Packers starters to play.
"Right now the mindset is going into this is we're going to play our guys and we're going to approach it like every other game," LaFleur told packers.com.
Both LaFleur and Rodgers did say, however, that starters might not play the whole game. LaFleur just isn't comfortable having players sit three weeks heading into the NFC Divisional round.
2. LaFleur certainly isn't treating this week's game in Detroit as a soft close to the end of the regular season.
"I know this is not going to be an easy game," he said. "You look back at what they've been able to accomplish. They put up a bunch of points (Sunday) and then a couple weeks ago they knocked off Arizona and Arizona has everything to play for. So, we're going to have to play our best ball if we're going to come out with a victory.
"Detroit is a place we have not – over the course of the last two years – played particularly well, especially to start. We've managed to find ways to win the game, but we're going to have to start much faster really in all three phases."
3. Lions backup quarterback Tim Boyle spent his first four seasons in the NFL in Green Bay and the last couple years he was Rodgers' backup. Asked about Boyle on Wednesday, Rodgers said he loved Boyle and considered him a little brother. He said he loved working with Boyle and was glad he's gotten an opportunity to play some in Detroit.
4. The Packers have been without left tackle David Bakhtiari and cornerback Jaire Alexander for most of the year due to injury, but both players are close to returning to the field.
LaFleur said in a perfect scenario both players would get some reps in the regular season. We'll see if that comes to fruition on Sunday.
5. Don't be surprised if we see both running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon in the backfield together some Sunday. LaFleur said this week when they're on the field together, particularly because they are both good in the passing game out of the backfield, they can stress a defense teamed with the weapons the Packers have on the outside.
6. Packers wide receiver Davante Adams made the comment last year after their game in Detroit he wasn't sure if there was something in the air at Ford Field that causes them to start slow. Adams said they have to acknowledge as a team they haven't started well in games at Ford Field recently and come out with some juice early on.
7. Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark said it was a little different playing against Jamaal Williams with another jersey on. Clark always knew the former Packers turned Lions running back was physical during practice, but said that first game Week 2 tackling Williams was a reminder of just how much he runs behind his pads. Clark said Williams has always been a consistent and physical runner. He is excited for Williams' opportunity in Detroit and is looking forward to another physical matchup against him Sunday.
