A Look Ahead to Week 12
Week 12 in the NFL started with a bang. I am not talking about the overeating, drinking and Dolly Parton wearing a Cowboys cheerleader outfit, although she was a showstopper at 77 years young. Or the loud screams we heard from the 216 contestants of the Circa Survivor contest who selected the Lions. The bang I am referring to occurred in Motown, where the once thought-for-dead Green Bay Packers came to life, leaving many Packers fans exiting Ford Field believing they might have found their next great quarterback.
From the first play of the game, Jordan Love looked like a confident quarterback, with a sense of timing rhythm, accuracy, and awareness. His ball location was perfect; his decision-making was exceptional, and his poise was the best it’s been all season. From his first connection on a deep throw to Christian Watson, the Packers' offense was aggressive with throws down the field, showing the best execution in terms of completions and moving the chains. They built a 23-6 halftime lead and then allowed the Lions to make mistake after mistake, not taking the points, calling for a fake punt, and acting with desperation, resulting in a bad loss.
For two weeks in a row, the Lions' offense or defense has not looked sharp—trailing to the Bears with 4:15 in the fourth quarter by 12 and by 15 to the Packers with 3:30 in the third quarter, and they never made yesterday’s game interesting. When I told my cousin Vince (often called “Big Daddy” on the GM Shuffle Podcast) that the Packers were dominating as we watched the game, he laughed with a high level of disbelief. Even when the Packers play great, it’s never great enough for Big Daddy.
At 5-6, winners of three of the last four games, the question of whether the Packers have a chance for the seventh seed is a fair one to ask this morning. Are they worth a bet at +120 to make the playoffs? After their win yesterday, their chances of making the playoffs are at 45.5%, which seems a little low considering the remaining six games are against the Chiefs, Bucs and Bears at home and the Giants, Panthers and Vikings on the road. In four of the six games, the Packers will be the favorite, only being the underdog against the Chiefs and Vikings.