Matt LaFleur said in August he wanted to vomit every time he heard someone ask him about lacking a No. 1 wide receiver. So, forgive the Packers head coach if he’s a little proud of the coaching job Ryan Mahaffey and Jason Vrable have done with that group.
“People wonder, how are they doing so well without a true No. 1 wide receiver?” said former NFL veteran Andrew Hawkins on NFL Live Tuesday afternoon. “This group is so incredibly well-coached, it pops off the tape.”
That tape shows four wide receivers each with at least 20 catches: Jayden Reed (44), Romeo Doubs (36), Christian Watson (22) and Dontayvion Wicks (21). Each also has at least two touchdown receptions, and each has improved since the Lions went into Lambeau Field and beat the Packers on Nov. 3.
“It is literally my favorite receiving corps to watch on film because they do everything great,” said Hawkins, who played six NFL seasons as a wide receiver. “They’re great in their technique, their effort is always there, they play well without the ball in their hands, they’re competitive as hell … you name it, top to bottom, they play with such an accountability, a chip on their shoulder and no ego.”
Aaron Glenn’s defense typically plays a lot of man coverage, and the Packers have thrived against that scheme. Keep an eye on that when Detroit (11-1) hosts Green Bay (9-3) on Thursday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video), although Doubs remains in the concussion protocol and isn’t likely to play.
Northern exposure: No Lions or Packers player was alive in 1985, the last time an NFL division entered Week 14 having three teams with at least nine wins. In addition to Detroit (11-1) and Green Bay (9-3), the Vikings (10-2) have also excelled. The AFC East was the last division with that distinction, 39 years ago, when New England, Miami and the Jets were each 9-4.
Interception leaders: Kerby Joseph and Xavier McKinney, the respective strong safeties for Detroit and Green Bay, are tied for the league lead with seven interceptions. Seven is also a career high for each player. Since Joseph entered the league as Detroit’s third-round selection in the 2022 draft, he leads all players in interceptions with 15.
Goff joins elite club: Since Detroit traded for Jared Goff prior to the 2021 season, he has 100 touchdown passes in regular-season games. Including his 107 touchdown passes for the Rams from 2016-20, Goff joined five other players in reaching 100 with multiple franchises: Tom Brady (New England and Tampa Bay), Peyton Manning (Indianapolis and Denver), Carson Palmer (Cincinnati and Arizona), Fran Tarkenton (Minnesota and the New York Giants) and Kurt Warner (St. Louis Rams and Arizona).
Coach of the Year conversation: Outside Wisconsin, Matt LaFleur isn’t getting a lot of respect among Coach of the Year candidates despite guiding the league’s youngest team and going 3-0 without starting quarterback Jordan Love. Last week, LaFleur earned his 65th regular-season win, surpassing Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid and Hall of Famer Bill Cowher (64 wins each) for the second-most victories by a head coach in his first six seasons. Only George Seifert (75) had more.
Playoff push: With a win, Detroit would become the first NFC team to clinch a playoff berth. The Lions, who lost the NFC Championship Game last season, haven’t appeared in consecutive postseasons since 1993-95.
For more information on the Packers and Lions, visit the Green Bay and Detroit team pages at ProFootballPost.com.
Discover more from Pro Football Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.