NFL conspiracy theorists sounded their alarms this week when the Lions-Packers game was flexed to Sunday night. In a non-conspiracy world, the Lions would have kicked off at the same time as the Seahawks, because each holds the key to the other's playoff hopes.
The Lions are eliminated if the Seahawks beat the Rams, which kicks off at 4:25, while the Seahawks are eliminated if the Lions lose to the Packers. In theory, the Lions might not give the Packers their best shot if they know they've been knocked out of the race.
Yeah right, says Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. Have you ever watched Dan Campbell's Lions play?
“The last thing I would ever worry about is Coach Campbell’s team not getting ready to play, regardless of what’s at stake or what’s going on," Carroll said this week, via The Times Tribune. "He’s going to get them fired up and jacked. That’s all he’s ever done. And that will be a great match, too.”
The Lions have plenty to play for Sunday, whether or not they wind up getting the help they need from Seattle. They have a chance to knock their longtime nemesis Aaron Rodgers out of the playoff race in front of a national audience and finish with a wining record for the first time in five years.
"There’s one objective and that’s about winning this game," Campbell said Wednesday. "It’s us or it’s nobody.”
Related
Rarely have two teams -- and two cities -- been at such odds in different games. As hard as Detroit will be rooting against Seattle Sunday afternoon, Seattle will be rooting for Detroit Sunday night. Seahawks safety and former Lion Quandre Diggs said he's "hit up some of my friends over there already and told them, ‘Y’all handle business and get it done.’”
"I know what A-Rod’s thinking, I know he’s living for this moment, to go in and beat the Lions so he can talk trash," said Diggs, who went 5-2 against the Packers in his five years with Detroit. "But hopefully my guys can pull through and go over there and get a dub."
Diggs smiled and said he even offered his former teammates a little extra incentive: “I am like, ‘Hey, I wouldn’t mind taking y’all on vacation if you go ahead and get a W. I will pay for your vacation.'"
“All we’ve got is what we can do," said Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, who torched the Lions back in Week 4 thus giving Seattle the head-to-head tiebreaker. "That’s go out and win this game on Sunday, then become the biggest Detroit fans in the world after that.”
The Lions would just as soon pay for vacations for the Rams.
Listen live to 97.1 The Ticket via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker