Packers Top Lions To Remain Undefeated

Added on Nov 24, 2011 by Jack Thurman in

NFL

The old line suggests that ‘it’s never easy to win in the NFL’. The Green Bay Packers are proving otherwise. The defending Super Bowl champions won their 17th straight game overall and improved to 11-0 on the season by defeating the Detroit Lions 27-15 in the traditional Thanksgiving Day game in the Motor City.

Aaron Rodgers was the big star as he passed for 307 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions. His Lions’ counterpart Matthew Stafford put up decent yardage numbers but also threw three interceptions. The game was never really as close as the final score would suggest, with Green Bay building a 24-0 third quarter lead before coasting in the final frame.

The Packers easily covered as -4 point NFL betting favorites to improve their pointspread record on the season to 7-3. They’ve been money in the bank for sports bettors during the past three seasons going 31-15 against the number. The 42 combined points scored stayed ‘Under’ the posted total of 55.

Rodgers said he maintained his cool despite a physical gameplan from the Lions who clearly hoped to rough up the quarterback:

“We try to rise above things like that. We knew in a rivalry game, there are going to be a hard of hard hits, but we kept things between the whistles.”

Asked about the prospect of finishing the season undefeated Rodgers opined:

“We’re a long way from there. This is a big step toward our first goal, which is winning the division. If we are undefeated after 14 or 15 games, we’ll talk about 16.”

Teammate Ryan Pickett added:

“We know we have something special, 12-0 is our goal. And if 16-0 is there when we get there we’ll embrace that.”

The Packers are 11-0 for the first time in the history of the franchise and their 17 straight wins is also a team record. Despite these superlatives, head coach Mike McCarthy says he doesn’t feel any additional pressure:

“I don’t feel any pressure, this is a good place to be. Who doesn’t want to be 11-0?”

The Packers’ next challenge will be on the road against an erratic New York Giants team. If they can get the win there they’ll play three of their last four games at home facing Oakland, Chicago and Detroit. Their lone road game will be at Kansas City.