GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -Losing a road game to the Green Bay Packers is nothing new to the Detroit Lions – they’ve been doing that since 1992. But last year’s loss at Lambeau Field was particularly painful.
By dropping their season finale 31-21 to the Packers last December, the Lions sealed their dubious place in NFL history: 0-16.
Center Dominic Raiola says the Lions (1-4) don’t expect any jarring flashbacks in their return to Lambeau to face the Packers on Sunday.
“I think all of the bad memories are all tied into one big bad memory,” Raiola said. “So I don’t know if you could just pinpoint one specific game or anything like that. Obviously that’s where we lost the last one, but I think it was just a big snowball.”
With a new head coach, former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and a roster turnover of more than 50 percent, the Lions think they’re a different team with a new attitude.
show for it.
That’s good news for the Packers (2-2), who face the first of what should be a pair of back-to-back chances to build their confidence after a disappointing start to the season.
After Sunday’s game against the Lions, the Packers travel to struggling Cleveland before a highly anticipated Nov. 1 rematch with Brett Favre and the Vikings at Lambeau.
But the Packers have played far below expectations in their first four games and can’t take anything for granted at this point – even against a team they’ve beaten 18 straight times in the state of Wisconsin, a streak that dates to December 1992.
“Maybe a fan would say, ‘They’ll get this,”’ linebacker Aaron Kampman said. “You’ve got to go out and do it. You’ve got to go out and execute, you’ve got to show up with great emotion and energy, and we’ve got plenty of angst ourselves from wanting to get back in the win column. I think there’ll be no trouble in making sure we put our best foot forward on Sunday.”
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said his team won’t take the Lions lightly.
“You don’t just ‘should win’ any game,” McCarthy said. “That’s a terrible attitude to take into a game. That’s not the attitude that we’ll ever take into a football game.”
injuries.
Detroit could be without its two primary offensive threats on Sunday, wide receiver Calvin Johnson and rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford.
When healthy, Schwartz believes Stafford and Johnson have the potential for greatness.
“Both of them are young players. Let’s not rank them up there with Unitas and Berry or Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison or any of the great combinations that have come over the years,” Schwartz said. “But they have the potential to be able to do that.”
But after a solid start to the season, Stafford hurt his knee against the Chicago Bears in Week 3 and did not play against the Steelers last week. Veteran backup Daunte Culpepper performed well in his absence, throwing for 282 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but was sacked seven times.
Johnson left last week’s loss to the Steelers with a thigh injury.
The Packers, meanwhile, are coming off a bye and could be getting healthier. Veteran left tackle Chad Clifton might return after missing two games with a sprained right ankle – and they need him, after giving up a league-worst 20 sacks in four games.
The Packers also could get back big-hitting safety Atari Bigby, who was a key player in their run to the NFC title game two seasons ago but has struggled with injuries ever since. Bigby hurt his knee in the season opener.
t a Lions defense Aaron Rodgers shredded in two starts last season.
Rodgers threw for a combined total of 636 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions in two starts against the Lions last season.
But a lack of protection has kept Rodgers from finding a rhythm this season, and wide receiver Greg Jennings expressed frustration this week – mainly directed at Rodgers’ protection – about not seeing enough passes thrown his way.
Packers wide receiver Donald Driver, meanwhile, needs one more catch to become the franchise’s career leader in receptions.
“We know we’ve got to stop the run, and then we’ve got to get our motors going and get after the quarterback,” Lions linebacker Larry Foote said. “They’ve got two great receivers with great speed, and they’ve got Aaron Rodgers, so we can’t let them establish their passing game. If they do that, they are tough to beat.”
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