Jordan Love has had to solely rely on his arm to boost the Green Bay Packers' offense this season.
With no Josh Jacobs (soon to change as of Week 7, because of course he'd be cleared to play against the Detroit Lions), and no offensive line, Love has been bombing downfield in hopes of either forcing his receivers to make big plays, or to draw DPI calls. He's gotten success with a mix of both, resulting in a 4-2 start to the season to keep pace with the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings.
Of course, this has also been the formula for any team facing the Lions this year: throw it downfield, and you're sure to find an open receiver against the porous secondary. Well, this strategy should soon become a passing fad with Brian Branch's return to the fold, which should help the Lions generate some turnover-prone passing from Love in Week 7.
Love's big-play propensity could be stopped by Lions in Week 7
Love currently ranks 1st in "big time throws" per PFF, good for 13 total on the year. This measures "excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window," according to PFF. He's getting the ball out fast, and accurately, which is a scary prospect for the Lions' secondary to have to deal with this Sunday.
However, one punch that's been missing from Detroit's defense has been their lack of a second-layer of help in coverage. Chuck Clark has done what he can, but he isn't very strong in coverage. The Lions found some success plugging rookie Keith Abney II in at safety in Week 5, but they've needed that extra turnover threat in the open field. Branch is just that.
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His return, and expectations around it, should be tempered, though. The team has indicated that they'll be using this week of practice to see how hard they can push him on Sunday, but Dan Campbell told reporters on Monday that Branch may not be out there for major snaps.
Interceptions could lift load for Lions' D-line
The Lions' defensive line has tried throughout this season to use pressure as a means of generating turnovers. Whether that means ensuring that quarterbacks are getting rid of the ball hastily or focusing on punch out opportunities, they've been the first, great line of defense for Detroit. Then, things fall apart once the ball hits the air.
Creating havoc in the air by actually making quarterbacks pay for these errant passes would lift a major load for the Lions' defensive line, who currently lead the league in sacks and are shaping up to be a big part of why the Lions are staying afloat in such a competitive division. INTs are a way to show that their work is paying off, even when they're not getting sacks.
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