By now, you’ve heard that Green Bay and Detroit will play for all the marbles on Sunday night at Ford Field. The game will have a significant amount of hype because it’s the biggest game on the Week 17 slate and carries the most weight. Win and you’re in. The game will intensify if Washington beats New York earlier in the day, and there’s only one playoff spot available. Dallas destroyed Detroit 42-21 on Monday Night Football. Can Green Bay borrow anything from the NFC-leading Cowboys? The answer is yes which surprises no one.

1. Darius Slay needs to be healthy
Dallas tore up Detroit’s secondary as Darius Slay missed the game with a hamstring injury. According to the ESPN broadcast, they didn’t sound too encouraged about Slay playing in the final week of the season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he suits up though. It’s the biggest game of the year, and unless he’s really hurt, Slay will want to try and play at least for a little bit. Johnson Bademosi and Asa Jackson are an absolute disaster.

2. Stafford struggled against the 3-2-6 defense
Rod Marinelli made a great adjustment towards Matthew Stafford putting his defense in 3-2-6 defense. Stafford had trouble with a pseudo-dime defense. He did not look the same in the second half. You know who runs that defense? Your Green Bay Packers. Joe Thomas plays the middle with Clay Matthews on the outside with Mike Daniels and other rushing the quarterback. This second half gives Dom Capers something to work with here. The one issue with replicating the defense is Green Bay’s corners pale in comparison to Dallas.

3. Detroit has a running game… kinda
Lions came out running the football with Zach Zenner making a statement with over sixty yards and two touchdowns. Zenner looked great out there against Dallas’ “top-ranked” defense in the first half, and he didn’t do shit in the second half. That being said, Green Bay needs to respect Zenner at least a little bit.

4. Lions defense lacked playmakers
We heard through the middle of the season how Detroit had a great defense. It didn’t show against a good Cowboys team. I’m wondering if the hype surrounding Lions was a product of the team playing bad teams on a weekly basis. Tahir Whitehead and Ziggy Ansah are star players on that defense, but that’s about it from Detroit. As mentioned without Slay, they are a different squad.

5. Just going to leave this here…

#Lions QB Matthew Stafford versus pressure. #MNF pic.twitter.com/8f0oZcEVXM

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) December 27, 2016

Expect Capers to send the house a couple times.

Only a few days away, can’t wait.

Charlie.