NFL: Detroit can Shock Green Bay on Thanksgiving

The re-emergence of Kevin Smith is just one of the reasons Al Dannity is backing the big upset tomorrow when the Lions host the Packers in Ford Field. The sports betting bonanza of Thanksgiving is going to begin with a big surprise.

Smith wants a turkey leg
Up until last Sunday this looked like a straight up battle of two pass-based offenses. The Lions were ordinary, at best, when it came to the ground game. Then Kevin Smith stepped up big time with a monster performance. All of a sudden the Lions have an adequate alternative to the injured Jahvid Best supplementing Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson’s air attack. That spells bad news for Green Bay who have reeked in run defense all year long. If anything this appeared to be a game where that frailty wouldn’t be tested. Now with Smith, a former standout for UCF, back on song the Lions look capable of gashing them for big gains on Thursday.

Once again it falls on Rodgers
The Packers are arguably the most flawed team to make it to 10-0 in NFL history. In addition to run defense issues, the Packers aren’t stopping the pass all that well, have trouble running the ball, and have sub-standard downfield blocking. This sounds like a horror show but Aaron Rodgers and his deep receiving corps is so dominant that the Super Bowl champions have kept Green Bay perfect through to this week. That’s not to dismiss the Packers as flukes. Far from it, they have managed their roster to be dominant in one key area and be just good enough to survive everywhere else. It’s time however for the big crash. Detroit’s pass rush is scary and tomorrow Aaron Rodgers is going to be pursued relentlessly by the Lions.

The verdict
The Packers are good, really good and are built to win most of the time. Their passing game puts up points fast. This forces opponents to take to the air early, avoiding the holes in the ground game. This league however is all about match-ups and that’s why we haven’t seen a team finish unbeaten since the 1972 Dolphins. On Thanksgiving 2011, Mercury Morris is going to be insufferable and yet again pop a bottle of champagne. I like the Lions to bring enough pressure on defense to keep Green Bay from racking up the Madden style stats we have come to expect. If Stafford and company can hold up their end of the bargain, then the Lions will be celebrating Thanksgiving with a rare victory.