How would you like to see the Green Bay Packers wiped off the face of Earth as we know them? That is a possibility. And believe it or not, the Detroit Lions are the ones that could land the knockout blow during their Monday Night showdown at Lambeau Field.
The Packers (0-1) are teetering. Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Aaron Rodgers created a stink by saying he no longer wanted to play for the Packers. And during a 38-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints, he looked like a man who meant every word.
He looked like the lead man in one of those Southwest Airlines “Wanna Get Away?” commercials.
One loss does not ruin a franchise. But what if the Packers lose to the feeble Lions? They would be 0-2, and the stench of losing to the Lions could be unbearable. You could see a roller coaster ride where Rogers not only wants out, but teammates and the organization might say, “Don’t let the door hit your butt on the way out. We don’t want you either.”
Can you imagine the Packers starting Jordan Love for the next decade? How will that work out? No one knows, but the organization would not be as strong as having a happy Rodgers behind center.
Monday night won’t be a typical Green Bay-Detroit game. This game has huge implications for the Packers. And ESPN already put out that the Packers face the most pressure to win than any other NFL team. Of course, few people expect a Packer collapse. They opened up as a 10 point favorite over the Lions in Las Vegas and are now giving 11.5 points.
Rodgers said every team has a bad game.
“This is a good kick in the you-know-where,” said Rodgers, who finished 15 of 28 for 133 yards, no TDs, and two picks. “We felt like we were going to go up and down the field on whoever they have, and that obviously wasn’t the case.”
If the Packers lose to the Lions, how can they expect to navigate past a game in San Francisco against the Niners and then battle the dangerous Pittsburgh Steelers? Only 11.8 percent of teams that begin the season 0-2 make the playoffs, and 5-8 percent win the division.
However, the Packers usually rebound from bad outings. The Bucs spanked them last year, 38-10, and they survived to win the NFC North and advance to the NFC championship game, where they lost to Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay by five points.
It might be a pipe dream to talk about the Lions knocking out the Packers. But the Lions have the hammer in their hands. Will they know how to use it?
Follow Foster on Twitter at TerryFosterDet.