The Green Bay Packers have 12 takeaways during the team’s four-game winning streak. The Detroit Lions have 15 total turnovers all season.
It’s safe to say takeaways and the turnover margin will be critical for Sunday night’s showdown between the Packers and Lions.
Matt LaFleur’s team is 5-1 when delivering at least two takeaways this season, including wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings – all playoff teams. Not surprisingly, when the Packers don’t get a takeaway, they are 0-3.
Last Sunday, four takeaways against the Vikings led to 28 points, including a pick-six, during an impressive 41-17 win over the NFC North champions. The week prior, three second-half interceptions powered a comeback win in Miami.
The Lions have incredible splits in the turnover category.
Consider this: When turning the ball over one or more times this season, the Lions are 1-7. Without a turnover, the Lions are 7-1. And it works with takeaways, too: when the Lions get two or more takeaways on defense, they are 4-0.
Dan Campbell’s team ranks first in the NFL with only 15 turnovers this season. The Packers, after only 12 takeaways in the first 12 games, now rank sixth in the NFL with 24.
The Packers defense against Jared Goff could be a terrific battle.
During the four-game win streak, the Packers have nine interceptions, including three each of Tua Tagovailoa and Kirk Cousins over the last two weeks. Incredibly, Goff hasn’t thrown an interception since the Lions’ Week 9 win over the Packers – a stretch of eight interception-free games. Detroit is 6-2 in those eight games.
Goff has only thrown an interception in six games this season. The Lions are 1-5 in those games, with the only win coming when Aaron Rodgers tossed three interceptions of his own at Ford Field in Week 9.
Fourth down is another area to watch. A turnover on downs is essentially a turnover, although it’s not counted as such in the official NFL stats. The Lions have gone for it on fourth down 35 times; the Packers 29. Neither team is afraid to take a risk in terms of extending a drive or bypassing a field goal.
In a match between these two teams, the winner of the turnover margin on Sunday night will likely win the football game. It can sometimes be that simple. The Packers are thriving off a turnover-crazed defense; the Lions have protected the ball well all season. Green Bay getting a takeaway or two appears vital to checking off the final box of the playoff run and beating Detroit in the season finale.
