It’s (Another) One-Game Season for Packers

The Green Bay Packers have a lot of intangibles in their favor for Sunday’s do-or-die finale against the Detroit Lions. None of those things matter.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers have won four consecutive games to get to the precipice of a spot in the NFL playoffs. It all boils down to Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field.

The momentum of a winning streak that continued with a 41-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings?

The lift provided by 12 takeaways during that streak?

The growing confidence on offense?

The spark provided by Keisean Nixon?

Green Bay’s wealth of playoff experience against a team that hasn’t won a playoff game in three decades?

None of those things mean a thing. It will be about delivering one more winning performance to extend their season into a playoff spot that seemed out of reach after losing to the Eagles five weeks ago.

These are not the same old Lions, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after the game. Starting with their victory over Green Bay in Week 9, they’ve won seven of their last nine games to overcome a 1-6 start. This will be a hard-fought contest, not a coronation.

“We’ve been in that playoff mind-set when we were sitting there at 4-8, just knowing how critical every game was, and to get to this point and for it to play out the way it has is exciting,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday.

“It’s exciting, obviously, for our team, for our fans. But we’ve got a huge challenge in front of us – a team that already beat us once this year and I know that they’ve got a lot to play for, as well. I think (coach) Dan (Campbell’s) done a hell of a job getting that team to flip the narrative. They’re a dangerous team. Even some of the games they’ve lost, they’re right there against really good teams. We’re going to have to play our best ball, no doubt about it.”

Momentum is real, and the Packers are riding it. Not only have they won four consecutive games, they’ve gotten an impossible amount of help with the wild-card hopefuls ahead of them in the playoff race tumbling like dominos.

“There’s some destiny involved with this and it’s on us to go out and fulfill that,” Rodgers said.

It is completely up to the Packers to make it happen. While momentum during a game might be durable, it can be fleeting on a game-to-game basis.

The Vikings, for instance, had momentum after back-to-back heart-stopping victories over the Colts and Giants. That momentum was gone in about 13 seconds – how long it took Nixon to race 105 yards for a touchdown.

“That’s the challenge every week,” LaFleur said. “Every game’s going to have a little different feel and a different plan, and it ultimately comes down to going out there and executing and making the most of all your opportunities.”

That was the case on Sunday night against the Vikings. Green Bay forced four turnovers, meaning half its season total of 24 has come during the winning streak. The Packers scored touchdowns on all four.

“When you’re on the right side of that, it gives you a much better opportunity,” LaFleur said. “Conversely, when we hit that skid, and for the majority of the season, we were losing that turnover battle. It just makes it hard. We’ve just got to capitalize on those opportunities, try to continue to be very mindful of the ball and go after the ball and contest catches.”

With improved efficiency on offense, a defense that is creating big plays while limiting big plays, and a special teams that’s been a spark for the first time in years, the Packers have sent a message to everyone who counted them out.

“They don’t know how to count. Never count us out,” running back Aaron Jones said.

That will be the quote of the year if the Packers’ victory count reaches five in a row.

“We’re getting hot at the right time,” Jones added. “I feel like it’s a long season and you don’t want to peak too early and then go down. I feel like we struggled a little bit at the beginning but we’re peaking at the right time. Luckily, we didn’t dig ourselves in too big of a hole. We were able to come out of it and now it’s a one-game playoff. This game was a playoff for us as well and I think it showed out there. Next week will be the same.”

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