5 Detroit Lions who must play well in Week 9 against the Packers

If the Detroit Lions are going to end their losing streak and beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, these five players will have to play well.

The 1-6 Detroit Lions are on a five-game losing streak. In Week 9 they’ll welcome the 3-5 Green Bay Packers, themselves on a four-game losing steak, to Ford Field.

The Packers would normally be fairly significant favorites over the Lions. But the spread sits at a reasonable -3.5 in favor of them, and the Lions should not feel like they can’t win. The pressure is on the Packers and Aaron Rodgers to beat a team they’re supposed to beat, or their season will be all the way off the rails. So Dan Campbell’s team should be looser than they’ve been in awhile, and playing as if they have nothing to lose on Sunday.

If the Lions are going to end their losing streak and beat the rival Packers, these five players must play well.

5 Detroit Lions who must play well in Week 9 vs. the Green Bay Packers

5. DT Alim McNeill

McNeill has not done much on the stat sheet so far this season. He won’t have to do what Jets’ defensive tackle Quinnen Williams did against the Packers back in Week 6 (14 tackles) to make an impact this week . But winning against Green Bay’s interior offensive line (most notably guard Zach Tom), to put some interior pressure on Aaron Rodgers and disrupt the Packers’ running game, will be an order for the second-year man.

If McNeill can control gaps inside up front and the Lions can keep the Packers’ run game from having its way, it will be a good start toward forcing Green Bay’s offense off-schedule and into a pass-heavy mode Rodgers seemingly can’t carry anymore.