Cornerback Amik Robertson expected excitement upon joining the Detroit Lions as a free agent in the offseason.
Now that the excitement follows the surging Lions wherever they go — next stop, Sunday’s showdown at NFC North rival Green Bay — he’s eager to help division-leading Detroit maintain momentum.
“I’ve never been a part of nothing like this, but like I said, we just got to keep going,” Robertson said. “You know how this league is; they love you when you’re winning and you lose a couple games, it’s whatever. So, we just got to keep going and keep our eyes on the prize.”
Detroit (6-1) and Green Bay (6-2) boast the second- and third-longest winning streaks in the NFL at five and four games, respectively.
With the status of Packers quarterback Jordan Love (groin) uncertain, however, the hosts could face even tougher sledding against a Lions team averaging more than 40 points in its past four games.
Although Green Bay has scored at least 24 points in four straight games (including two games in the 30s), Love feels the attack still can hit its stride.
“I don’t think we’ve played our best performance,” said Love, who didn’t practice Wednesday but said it’s “realistic” he could play against the Lions. “So, we’re definitely still trying to hunt for that.”
After struggling against the Packers for several years, the Lions enter Sunday with a 4-2 record against Green Bay under coach Dan Campbell.
Detroit is coming off a 52-14 home rout of the Tennessee Titans in Week 8, fueled by contributions from all three phases. Quarterback Jared Goff passed for three touchdowns (but just 85 yards) and Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 127 yards and a score to pace the offense, the defense forced four turnovers and Kalif Raymond returned a punt 90 yards for a TD en route to securing NFC special teams player of the week.
Green Bay also has excelled against foes from the AFC South, especially in crunch time. Kicker Brandon McManus, who signed with the Packers in late October, has connected on game-winning kicks as time expired in the past two games, against Houston and at Jacksonville.
Love sustained a groin injury in the first possession against the Jaguars but didn’t leave the game until the fourth quarter. Backup Malik Willis, who started in Weeks 2 and 3 with Love out with a sprained left knee, steered Green Bay to a 30-27 win.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur acknowledged Love’s desire to play and said “we’ll push the envelope” with testing his mobility as the week progresses. Love was one of seven Packers to sit out practice Wednesday. Among the others were running back Josh Jacobs (ankle) and offensive linemen Elgton Jenkins (glute), Rasheed Walker (knee) and Josh Myers — each of whom have started every game this season.
Goff, who rolled his ankle against the Titans, also didn’t practice Wednesday but said “it should be fine” and he expects to return Thursday. Other Lions players missing practice on Wednesday include offensive lineman Taylor Decker (chest) and defensive end Joshua Paschal (illness).
Packers rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper earned NFC defensive player of the week plaudits against Jacksonville, recording eight tackles, a strip sack and a pass breakup.
Detroit and Green Bay each prevailed on the road in last season’s series. The Lions are aiming for their third straight victory at Lambeau Field. That’s been a notable blip for the Packers, who have won 24 of the past 29 regular-season meetings at Lambeau and hold a 104-76-7 edge in the regular-season series overall.
–Field Level Media
