The Green Bay Packers’ Week 17 matchup against the Detroit Lions in the Motor City has been flexed to Sunday Night Football on NBC on Jan. 1. The game was originally supposed to air on FOX at 1 p.m. ET.
Packers vs. Lions flexed to ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 17
Both teams control their destiny.
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
For the second year in a row, the final game of the season will decide the NFC North. The Packers are 9-6 and the Lions are 9-5, but the winner is guaranteed to clinch the division and advance to the playoffs.
Other games have been moved, too. The Saints-Falcons and Giants-Washington games are now in the 4:25 p.m. ET timeslot:
Detroit lost in Week 15 and faces a tough Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has struggled to consistently make plays since suffering a dislocated finger on his throwing hand that will force him to wear a glove the remainder of the year.
The Packers, on the other hand, have won five games in a row, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers is playing like an MVP. He is making plays with his arm and legs, and Green Bay’s offense is clicking on all cylinders.
In the Packers’ 38-25 win against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16, Rodgers threw for 347 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Both teams control their own destiny at this point. If Detroit wants to win this game, it must take some of the pressure off of Stafford by running the ball effectively. Also, Stafford has to make plays with his arm and avoid back-breaking turnovers.
If Green Bay wants to walk away victorious, Rodgers has to continue orchestrating the Packers’ high-powered offense, and the defense cannot surrender big plays.
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