This week the Detroit Lions head to Lambeau Field where the team is looking for their first win since 1991.
Head Coach Jim Schwartz doesn't believe that will affect the majority of the players, considering many of them are new to the team. But he doesn't deny the statistic itself.
“I said 1-4 is what we are – you are what your record is. We haven’t won at Lambeau since ’91," he said. "That’s cold, hard fact. That’s something we need to do something about.”
If the Lions are to do something about that, they will have to do well within these key areas:
LIONS O-LINE vs. PACKERS FRONT SEVEN
As one of their biggest rivals, the Lions have seen a lot of the Green Bay Packers in the franchise’s history. Although they will be facing a familiar foe on Sunday, this time around the Lions’ offense will be dealing with a new Packers defense since they switched from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4.
Working out of the 3-4 allows the Packers to utilize certain players through blitzing or dropping them into coverage, varying the looks opposing offensive linemen see from snap to snap.
Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan, who is familiar with the Packers from his time in Minnesota, has seen the transition as a positive one due to the personnel they have.
“Having coached against Green Bay in the past, it’s a different scheme and you can see they’re making that transition,” he said. “They’ve got the right kind of people for it; they’ve got great players.”
One of those players that has had to make a change is outside linebacker Aaron Kampman, who was converted from defensive end. Kampman, with 36.0 sacks since 2006, was a dominant player on the Packers’ defensive line, but his role has changed with the new scheme.
Tackle 
“You’ve got to account for him at any time when he’s rushing the passer because he’s a very good rusher,” he said. “He rushes with a plan, he uses his hands really well, and he’s had a number of sacks over the last few years. He’s a top player in this league.”
Coming out of last week’s game against Pittsburgh, a team that runs a similar defense to that of Green Bay, Backus feels the Lions’ offensive line will be more prepared to face the Packers’ new scheme.
“We’re seeing two 3-4 defenses two weeks in a row,” he said. “Normally you’ll go several weeks playing a 4-3 defense and all of a sudden you’ll have a 3-4 defense pop up on you on the schedule and you’ve got to get comfortable real quick with your assignments and the schemes just because it’s something you don’t see every day.”
LIONS RECEIVERS vs. PACKERS SECONDARY
Against the Packers, the Lions receivers will be pitted against one of the best cornerback tandems in the league in veterans Charles Woodson and Al Harris. These experienced corners have logged season after season of shutdown coverage and will prove to be a difficult challenge for the Lions’ passing game.
Wide receiver
He knows that going against them is not easy because they are complete corners with few weaknesses. In any given matchup with them, a receiver can expect to be defended well in a variety of different ways.
“Those are two of the best corners in the league,” Northcutt said. “You’ve just got to prepare for it all—they’re good at playing off or on or in zones. We’ve just got to come with our game plan and be ready for anything.”
In addition to their coverage, Woodson and Harris like to stay aggressive through their physical play at the line of scrimmage. Both corners tend to jam receivers in an attempt to disrupt their routes and timing with the quarterback.
To combat that, the Lions will have to get off the line quickly and into an open part of the field.
“It’s definitely a challenge at the line of scrimmage,” said
With the possibility of
Although he figures to get extra looks, Bryant Johnson says his preparation for this week has not changed, but he relishes the opportunity to step into a greater role.
“I definitely think we’re all looking forward to having the opportunity to make plays in the game,” he said.
LIONS QB NOTES
As far as who will start under center for the Lions this weekend, quarterback
“Honestly, I don’t know," he said. "We’re just playing it by ear and we’ll see what happens, but we had a good week at practice.”
Because of injuries throughout the roster on both sides of the ball, many players will be called upon to come in and contribute this Sunday. Culpepper says, from an offensive standpoint, it is something players are looking forward to.
“I think that’s the good thing about this offense: you’ve got guys who have to step up," he said. "It’s an opportunity for certain guys and guys who have made plays in the past and have worked hard to get to this level. They know that when you have an opportunity to go out and make a play you’ve got to step up and do it.”
LIONS DEFENSE vs. PACKERS’ PASSING GAMESo far in this young season, the performance of the Lions secondary has been a work-in-progress. At times, the defensive backfield has been strong in coverage and forced turnovers, while, at other times, it has struggled with assignment errors.
But the group has also been battling injuries, something cornerback
“The rotation that we’ve been going with, we haven’t been able to get a solid unit in there for a consistent amount of games or weeks, and some people might say that’s the reason for inconsistent play,” he said. “But it’s just is what it is.”
This week, the secondary will have a tall task ahead as it will try to limit the explosiveness of the Packers’ passing game.
Receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver are sizeable receivers who are tough to contain. Jennings has the potential to hurt teams with big plays and he is the only NFL player this season with three 50-plus-yard receptions.
“I can’t believe how good they are,” said Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham. “They’re very strong and they have the ability to catch a short ball and turn it into a big gain.”
In order to limit those reception possibilities, James said the defense must put a stop to the Packers’ running game.
“Having a solid run game helps them out because you get eight people in the box trying to stop the run,” he said. “Then you get the corner with single coverage on the outside and they take you deep. So, when you got a threat like that, it always poses a problem.”
Green Bay running back Ryan Grant is capable of breaking through into the secondary and also a threat out of the backfield. Against Minnesota, Grant had 50 yards receiving on four catches.
“They’re a really fine running team; I don’t think people realize how well they can run the ball,” Cunningham said. “I always talk about how you have to take the opponent’s heart by stopping the run. Then you go after their soul, which is the quarterback.”
Detroit will also try to get pressure on quarterback Aaron Rodgers, hoping to force the ball out quick or create sack opportunities.
“The quarterback’s exceptional,” said Cunningham. “I have coached a lot of old school players and he has old school looks about him. He has quick feet and a really quick arm.”
LIONS FRONT SEVEN vs. PACKERS RUN GAME
The Packers offense can hurt opposing defenses in many ways. The key for Detroit will be to limit the offense’s explosiveness by making them one-dimensional.
“They’ve got some speed, they’ve got two great receivers, tight ends that can run and stretch the field, and they’ve got Aaron Rodgers,” said linebacker
In third-and-long situations, Rodgers will likely be forced into a longer drop-back, which could give the Lions’ front seven a more effective rush on an offensive line that has given up a league-high 20 sacks. It may also help the corners in their coverage.
“When we get in situations and it’s an obvious passing down and our defense understands (that), we’ve done okay,” Cunningham said. “Where we’ve struggled is in the either-or situations because we have so many new players and it’s a new scheme struggling to adapt.
“So making them one-dimensional would be the idea.”
LIONS D-LINE vs. PACKERS O-LINE
It starts in the trenches and this Sunday the Lions defensive line will hope to get a solid rush on Rodgers. The Detroit defensive line has collected 10 sacks on the season and will go up against a Packers offensive line that has given up a league-high 20 sacks, including eight at Minnesota.
Despite that number, however, Detroit knows that Minnesota has one of the best defensive lines in the league.
“We need to put that fire out also – we gave up seven (last week),” said Head Coach Jim Schwartz. “They gave up eight. We talked about that a little bit (Wednesday) with both teams needing to get some protection things straightened out; receivers, quarterbacks, offensive line, everybody’s responsible for allowing sacks. They had a bye week. I’m sure they’ve addressed a lot of things.”
One reason for the Packers’ struggles has been injuries, which has forced players out of their regular positions.
Green Bay did sign tackle Mark Tauscher this week, a starter each of last nine seasons, but he is listed on this week’s injury report with a knee injury and may not be able to play.
