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Lions vs. Packers Week 6 Scouting Report: Pivotal divisional matchup

By Jeremy Friedrichs

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 06: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers warms up prior to their game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 06: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers warms up prior to their game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Special Teams

The Lions’ special teams units have been wildly inconsistent this season, but there is reason for optimism. A forced turnover against the Chiefs and returner Jamal Agnew‘s renewed confidence and explosion have the Lions less concerned about their third phase than earlier in the season. Turning off the faucet on the penalties has helped too; they have committed just one special teams penalty over the past two games after piling up nine over the first two weeks of the season.

Matt Prater continues to be a smooth operator amongst a turbulent cohort of NFL placekickers. However, he owns some perplexing statistics that are relevant to this week’s matchup. According to Pro Football Reference, Prater has hit just 80 percent of his field-goal attempts in his career against the Packers, his lowest mark against any NFC North foe. Additionally, he has hit under 70 percent of his career field-goal attempts on Monday night. Strange phenomena to be sure, could they be a factor this week?

On the other side, Mason Crosby seems to have put his uneven 2018 behind him. He has missed just one kick all year, however, his leg strength may be in decline; his longest field goal of the year is from just 42 yards and he has yet to attempt a kick from 50 or more yards. The Lions will undoubtedly look to force the Packers into some tricky decisions on fourth-and-long outside of the red zone.

Tremon Smith has averaged just 22.7 yards on kickoff returns for Green Bay and has yet to break any longer than 25. Additionally, the Packers have returned just four punts on the year, the second-fewest in the league. Those punts have yielded a grand total of just one yard.

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