German_Force » to do that is hard to tell

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions seem to need a win over Green Bay to stop Matt Patricia’s first season from being a flop.Week 5 may seem a little early for an NFL team to be desperate.More Packers coveragePhotos of the Week: 7/21/19 – 7/27/19Packers rookie Gary’s biggest critic is himselfTop Tweets: Former Badger TJ Watt has impressive four-year transformationPHOTOS: 2019 Green Bay Packers training campPackers’ Rodgers Jace Sternberger Jersey , LaFleur ironing out offense, building chemistryNot in Detroit.The Lions (1-3) were embarrassed in a 48-17 loss to the New York Jets, who haven’t won since the opener and appear to be one of the league’s worst teams . The Lions did earn an impressive win over New England in Week 3, but the lone victory is sandwiched between comebacks that fell short at San Francisco and Dallas.Detroit, which hasn’t won a division title since 1993, can get a boost of confidence and go into a bye week on a high if it can beat the Packers (2-1-1) for a third straight time.“It would be huge because if you win this one, you get to enjoy this one for a little bit longer and you got a break to enjoy,” Detroit receiver Golden Tate said. “If you lose this, you’re thinking about it until you’re back on the field.“Besides that, it’s a divisional game. I like to think it counts as two. A win for us and a loss for them, that’s a two-game swing in my mind.”Unlike last year’s season sweep, though, the Lions will have to face two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. He was injured for the 2017 matchups.“One of the best ways to get into the playoffs is to win your division games and this is our first opportunity,” Detroit safety Glover Quin said. “If we get a win here, we’ll have two wins just like Green Bay. Minnesota has one. Chicago has three wins, but no one is running away with it right now.”Here are some things to watch for in Sunday’s game at Ford Field:RODGERS REAXGreen Bay’s superstar quarterback voiced his displeasure with the offensive production last week against Buffalo despite a 22-0 win and 400-plus yards of offense. Coach Mike McCarthy has chalked up the frustration to Rodgers’ competitiveness, adding he was also unhappy.Rodgers has been playing through a left knee injury that appears to limit his mobility.“When the adrenaline kicks in on game day, I’ve felt a little better the last couple games,” he said.Green Bay’s top three receivers are banged-up, leading to them miss practice time. Davante Adams has a calf injury. Randall Cobb missed the Bills game with a hamstring injury. Geronimo Allison has been in the concussion protocol.POSSIBLE PAY DAYTate is on pace to have the best season of his nine-year career with team highs in catches (28), yards receiving (389) and receiving touchdowns (three) through four games.Entering the final year of his contract Dexter Williams Jersey , Tate said his agent and the Lions are not discussing a new deal.“I’m always down for talking, but they completely stopped,” the 30-year-old Tate said. “I’m just going to do my job. I still feel young, which is a major key.”ANOTHER AARONAaron Jones could be emerging from the Packers’ crowded backfield. A slasher with big-play potential, Jones is working his way back into the three-man running back rotation after being suspended the first two games. He’s averaging 6.3 yards per carry after averaging 5.5 yards last year as a rookie.Jamaal Williams started the first four games and has stood out in pass protection. Ty Montgomery is a receiving threat out of the backfield. Jones has been third in the rotation, allowing the Packers to put perhaps their best runner into the game at a time when the defense isn’t as fresh.R-E-S-P-E-C-TDetroit’s Darius Slay, who has an NFL-high nine interceptions since the start of 2017, has become one of the league’s best cornerbacks, as last season’s All-Pro recognition confirmed.“He’s a premier corner,” Rodgers said. “And the thing I’ve always respected about him is he does star coverage. He plays on both sides of the field, he plays in the slot, and not many corners do that.”In 2015 after the Lions won in Green Bay, Slay said Rodgers foresaw the recognition that was coming.“You’re underrated,” Slay recalled Rodgers saying to him. “You’re one of the top guys. Keep playing and you’ll get (notoriety).”PRESSURE PACKAGEThe Packers’ defense finally put together a four-quarter performance in the shutout of the Bills after three roller- coaster weeks of alternating one good half with one choppy half. Granted, they had seven sacks and forced three turnovers against a rookie quarterback in Buffalo’s Josh Allen.GREEN BAY (2-1-1) at DETROIT (1-3)Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FoxOPENING LINE – Packers by 1RECORD VS. SPREAD – Green Bay 2-2, Detroit 3-1SERIES RECORD – 100-70-7LAST MEETING – Lions beat Packers 35-11, Dec. 31, 2017LAST WEEK – Packers beat Bills 22-0; Lions lost to Cowboys 26-24AP PRO32 RANKING – Packers No. 11, Lions No. 24PACKERS OFFENSE – OVERALL (17) Rock Ya-Sin Jersey , RUSH (19), PASS (14).PACKERS DEFENSE – OVERALL (6), RUSH (15), PASS (7).LIONS OFFENSE – OVERALL (11), RUSH (20), PASS (10).LIONS DEFENSE – OVERALL (8) RUSH (32), PASS (2).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES – Lions swept last year’s series for first time since 1991. Green Bay and Detroit have played annually since 1932. … QB Aaron Rodgers is 13-3 against Lions, who didn’t face him last season. Rodgers 7-1-1 in last nine NFC North games with 23 TDs and no INTs. … WR Davante Adams has three TD catches this year and NFL-high 25 since 2016. … Jimmy Graham had first TD last week with team and has league-high 54 for TEs since 2012. … Green Bay defense has NFL-best 34 three-and-out percentage. … S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix only NFL player this year with INT in three straight games. … Matthew Stafford has thrown seven TDs and one INT after one-TD, four-INT performance against Jets in opener. … Rookie RB Kerryon Johnson averaging 6-plus yards on 25 carries past two games. … WRs Golden Tate, Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay are first trio of NFL teammates with 50-plus yards receiving each in five straight games played together. … Lions have two-plus sacks in eight straight games, dating to last year, longest active streak in league. … Devon Kennard has four sacks, trailing only Chicago’s Khalil Mack among NFL LBs. … Fantasy tip: Green Bay RB Aaron Jones had 82 yards of offense and TD on 12 touches last week and has shot to top that against NFL’s worst rushing defense. ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Travis Kelce was back to catching passes for the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday.If he could do it on the beach, he could do it on a football field.The two-time All-Pro tight end missed the entire offseason after having surgery to solidify an ankle that had become loose over time. Kelce said he had felt discomfort in it the past couple years, mainly on Monday and Tuesday, when his entire body was still sore from a Sunday game.“I mean, it was nothing I was doing,” he said. “It was just the misfortune, over the course of my career I rolled my ankle so many times that the ligaments in there were kind of stretched out.”The procedure early this spring essentially tightened up the ankle http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/anthony-zettel-jersey , and it kept Kelce from doing any running for about three months. That means he spent the team’s voluntary summer workouts and its mandatory minicamp on the sidelines, absorbing constant “Coach Kelce” ribbing from teammates.Kelce insisted he would be ready for the start of camp, but a watershed moment may have come during a recent trip to Turks and Caicos with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and wide receivers Demarcus Robinson and Gehrig Dieter. Mahomes was throwing passes to the other three on the soft, sandy beach, and the instability was a good test to see just how strong Kelce’s ankle had become.“There were times my ankle got caught in an awkward position, just running around,” he said, “and I can tell you, last year, two years ago, that thing would have been rolled and I would have been just sitting there, watching guys catch passes on the beach instead of doing it myself.”Rookies, quarterbacks and select veterans reported to Missouri Western State University for the start of camp on Tuesday, and their first workout was on a postcard-perfect Wednesday morning.Kelce was right in the mix, catching the first couple of passes of 7-on-7 and team drills.He didn’t have to report early: The rest of the veterans arrive Friday with the first full-squad workout scheduled for Saturday. After all, Kelce has earned that right after three consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving, and a career-best 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns last year.But the 29-year-old Kelce, who inked a five-year, $46 million contract extension in January 2016 http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/jahlani-tavai-jersey , figured it was best to arrive with the rookies. It not only gave him a few extra practices to get back into football shape, it also provided an opportunity for him to mentor the younger players.“I’m willing to work. That’s the biggest thing,” Kelce said. “It’s a little different when you see a guy out here going through the motions, walking the walk. Just being out here, working with the guys, showing them, ‘This is how we do it here.’ Showing them by example.”Kelce has his work cut out for him.The Chiefs are perilously thin behind him at tight end after losing Demetrius Harris in free agency, and they could be in the market for a veteran backup once roster cuts happen.But for now, former Oklahoma quarterback-turned-journeyman NFL tight end Blake Bell is No. 2 on the depth chart with unheralded Deon Yelder trailing him.“I think we’re going to be OK,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I think putting pads on, who’s going to be able to play on the line of scrimmage and do what Demetrius did there. Who’s going to be able to do that is hard to tell right now, but we’ll find out.”Regardless of how the depth chart shakes out, the Chiefs know who their No. 1 tight end will be.“I’m 100 percent fine out there,” Kelce said. “Didn’t have any issues today.”NOTES: Second-round pick Juan Thornhill was at practice after missing part of the offseason work with a calf injury. The young safety is expected to compete for a starting job. “They told me it was going to be OK. Just get treatment and get better,” he said. “That’s the main thing.” … The rookie workouts are closed to the public this week, but the first full-squad practice Saturday is open.