What are the Green Bay Packers' players and coaches talking about ahead of Sunday's Week 9 matchup against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field? Let's find out:
1. It sounds like a lot of the same things that have plagued the Lions over their first seven games of the season have been issues that Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur described this week as things holding the Packers back through their first eight contests.
"I think that as a whole, as a team, we have to play better complementary football and then we might not be having this conversation," LaFleur told ESPN. "It hasn't been consistent at all. It's one side is doing it, the other side isn't. You've got to play complementary football and understand that there's going to be some moments where one side of the ball may be struggling. That's where the other side of the ball has to kind of pick it up."
That certainly fits the Lions' struggles through seven games.
2. It's unfamiliar territory to see the Packers coming into Ford Field near the midseason point of the season sitting at 3-5 and ranked 22nd in passing offense (217.4). One of the big problems with the Packers' passing game, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, is that quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn't have the time or the resources to throw deep. Rodgers' yards per pass attempt of 6.6 yards is on pace for the lowest of his career and would be only the second time he has averaged fewer than 7 yards per attempt.
3. The Packers were believed to be in on trade talks to acquire Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool.
"I have had conversations with (Packers GM) Brian (Gutenkunst) the past few weeks, I'm not sure what's going to happen," Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show a few hours before the trade deadline Tuesday. "But I'm not surprised to learn that maybe we were in on Claypool."
Chicago beat Green Bay to the punch by trading a second-round pick to the Steelers for Claypool. With how much Rodgers has publicly criticized his receiver corps this season, it's probably safe to say he's not happy no moves for a receiver were made by the Packers Tuesday.
4. LaFleur had one major criticism of his defense coming off last week's 27-17 loss to Buffalo.
"I think we need to be more physical," LaFleur told packers.com. "I think you look at the teams that are toughest to deal with in this league, especially from a defensive standpoint and physicality, it jumps out to you. There were moments where we're not always getting that."
He wants his defense to be much more physical this week vs. Detroit. Green Bay heads into Sunday's matchup in Detroit ranked 16th in points allowed (21.6) and eighth in total defense (316.0). They are 29th against the run (141.3), but second against the pass (174.8).
5. LaFleur said Monday it's "very much up in the air" whether or not Packers linebacker and leading tackler De'Vondre Campbell will play Sunday in Detroit after suffering a knee injury against the Bills last week.
