The Green Bay Packers have a huge game on Monday night on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders, and they need a win to keep pace with the Detroit Lions in the NFC North race. Green Bay will enter the game with a 2-2 record, and Las Vegas has a 1-3 record on the season.
This game is so important for the Packers because they can’t afford to be behind the Lions in the NFC North standings. Detroit defeated the Carolina Panthers 42-24 on Sunday, and they look like the best team in the division at the current moment. They are 4-1 on the season currently.
Even if the Packers want to make the playoffs as a wild card in the NFC this season, this is a game they can not afford to lose. The Raiders are not going anywhere in terms of the playoffs this season in the AFC. Jimmy Garoppolo is going to be starting over Aidan O’Connell on Monday night at quarterback. Garoppolo has been cleared from concussion protocol to play.
If the Green Bay Packers Lose to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Detroit Lions Lead in the NFC North Will Get Even Bigger
Detroit’s lead in the NFC North would improve to two games if Green Bay lost on Monday night, but it would really be three games because the Lions own the tie-breaker right now over the Packers. The Green Bay Packers will have their third road game of the season, and they are 1-1 on the road, but they have looked way better on the road than they have at home over the first four games of the 2023 NFL regular season.
Quarterback Jordan Love should play well against a defense that is ranked 17th in the NFL this season at giving up 337.0 yards per game. Green Bay’s defense needs to play well also because the Raiders have a bottom-five ranked 28th in the NFL at only 281.8 yards per game. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry will be hearing it from the fanbase if they do not play well.
They will need to stop the run game and Josh Jacobs. Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams is another player to watch for as well. This is a big game for the Packers because if they don’t win, it feels like the Detroit Lions can very well run away with the NFC North division because the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings are currently 1-4.
