With just four weeks to go in the NFL regular season, many of the league's division titles are already claimed. The NFC North, however, is still very much up for grabs. The Detroit Lions currently sit in third in the division, but they're only a game and a half behind the Green Bay Packers, who own the top spot.
The odds are certainly against the Lions here, and their focus is more on just making the playoffs rather than winning the division.
But, as one Packers writer recently pointed out, the Packers have a key flaw that could make them vulnerable to a rough end of the regular season. If the Lions can take advantage, they could steal the division title back at the last second.
Packers writer admits the key flaw that could give the Lions a chance at the NFC North title
In a recent article, Mike Luciano of Lombardi Ave laid out a weakness in the Packers' defense that has made them quietly vulnerable in the second half of the season. He said, "While the Packers have one of the game's best defensive players in Micah Parsons, the rest of the defensive line has not benefited from the gravity he provides in the same way many would have expected."
Luciano went on to explain how Green Bay has struggled to stop the run in many of their games this year. Run-heavy teams, like the Chicago Bears, have been able to consistently move the ball down the field against them.
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The addition of Micah Parsons has given the Packers one of the most dangerous pass-rushing units in football. But as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones repeatedly pointed out, stopping the run isn't Parsons' biggest strength. In fact, it's turned into a weakness for Green Bay's defense.
In the article, Luciano speculated that this flaw could make the Packers vulnerable in the playoffs. But with a month still left to go in the regular season, they're already vulnerable. The Packers play the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, and Baltimore Ravens in their next three matchups. All three employ run-heavy offenses. If Green Bay's fatal flaw shines through in those games, the race for the NFC North title could quickly become even more open than it already looks.
Of course, the Lions can't do anything but win the games on their schedule at this point. But if the Packers open the door, Detroit will be ready to walk right through it.