After three straight wins, the Detroit Lions are on the edge of the playoff picture. Helped by the losses of the Green Bay Packers, the team is certainly not out of the running despite being 4-7. The biggest key to getting back into contention will be the connection between Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. With all of the rumors swirling about their futures with the franchise, the two proved once again they can be deadly in the win over the Eagles. However, injuries can hurt that progress.
According to ESPN's Alex Rothstein, Johnson missed practice this week for injuries although what they are was not specified. Johnson has been banged up for most of the season, the injury and missing practice is not necessarily cause for concern. According to Rothstein, the Lions are hopeful that Johnson is at full speed considering the team plays on Thursday night, but regardless they expect the receiver on the field.
Johnson is the key to beating the Packers and sweeping the NFC North rival. The wide receiver enjoyed a nice boost in production over the Eagles and that could continue against Green Bay. According to ESPN, since Jim Bob Cooter took over as the offensive coordinator, Johnson has had no fewer than eight targets per game. That is a big change from former coordinator Joe Lombardi. Feeding Johnson beats Green Bay and everyone in Detroit knows it.
"We can win," Johnson said, via ESPN.com. "We've shown that we can win, but it just takes a lot of consistency. There's little minute things here and there that can determine those outcomes in games or personnel-wise or whatever, but, like I said, we just continue to keep hitting the field, having good practices (and) something good will come of it."
Another key for the Lions is Theo Riddick who is quietly having a very productive season. Riddick has been a critical piece to the passing game this season acting as a Reggie Bush type of player. With Joique Bell struggling, Riddick has stepped up leading NFL running backs with 55 catches for 507 yards on the season. He is also doing a great job finding the endzone. As Ameer Abdullah begins to develop as a workhorse running back, Riddick has been the ideal change-of-pace player.
"He has a lot of freedom on option routes to do what he thinks he needs to do to try to get open and was so good at just putting moves on people, he was kind of putting moves on me, too," Stafford said, via the Detroit Free Press. "Because, as a quarterback, you want to try and anticipate, you want to cut that ball loose as close to when they're making their break as you possibly can. But with him, sometimes you had to wait it out because he was going to make a bunch of them."
The Lions will try and let Riddick run wild against Green Bay on Thursday night. The must open up the playbook as much as possible to beat the Packers and with Johnson and Riddick, it is possible.
