Coming into this season many critics considered the Green Bay Packers to be the safest bet on NFL futures. But the way Green Bay has performed in their first two games has left many fans regretting their prediction. The Packers opened their season by barely squeezing by the Jacksonville Jaguars – a team that went 8-24 in the last two seasons.
The Jaguars are currently 0-2 but the NFL recently admitted that they missed a crucial call late in the game that would have put the Jags in an excellent position to win the game. Had the flag been thrown the Packers would likely be sitting at 0-2 for the season and be in an even worse position than they find themselves in now.
This past weekend Green Bay had the perfect opportunity to take the lead in the NFC North and put themselves in a solid position to make the playoffs. Unfortunately once the Packers took the field it was evident that they were not as dominant as people expected. Rodgers finished the day with an uncharacteristically low passer rating of 70.7. Many of the two-time MVP’s passes failed to find their mark, and it was clear that neither Rodgers nor his receivers were on the same page.
The Packers organization had an entire offseason to address the offensive issues that debilitated this team in 2015 and by the looks of it they haven’t quite been able to address the issue. As the struggles continue fans will be looking somewhere to point the blame and it will likely end up being pointed at the coaching. McCarthy joined the Packers when Brett Favre was still lining up under center and has enjoyed the transition from one future Hall of Famer to another.
Not too many coaches in the NFL get to enjoy such talent at the quarterback position and the fact that McCarthy isn’t getting better results will only raise tensions in the organization. With the recent performances the Packers have been showing fans would be wise to take their bet on NFL games to any other team. Now with a gut-wrenching loss to the Vikings, Green Bay will prepare to face another division rival this Sunday, the Detroit Lions.
The Lions are also coming off a devastating loss, but they faced the Tennessee Titans. After opening the season with an impressive showing against the Colts, Detroit failed to continue their success in Week 2. The Lions had various opportunities to win the game, including a drive within the final 2 minutes of the game. Tennessee had just failed a 2-point conversion, so a field goal would have won the game for Detroit.
However, less than 10 yards away from being in kicking range Matt Stafford threw an interception that would guarantee a Titans’ victory. Now the Lions are ready to win their next game in a defiant manner, and judging by the way Green Bay has been playing lately, they just might. Let’s check the odds across the top sportsbooks to see what kind of chances Detroit has of beating the Packers.
Week 3 – Sunday the 25th of September
Packers -7 (-115) 48 (-115)
Lions +7 (-105) 48 (-105)
The Packers are coming in as the favorites and have a 7-point spread to cover. However, the Packers really haven’t been terribly impressive in the first two weeks. The Lions, on the other hand, have been holding their own. Either way, this game will be between two rivals and the Lions have proven themselves capable of upsetting Green Bay in the past. The way the Packers have been playing recently, many fans have decided to take their bet on NFL games elsewhere.