The NFL has marketed this year as “The Biggest Season Ever” after adding a 17th game to the regular season. Well, the Green Bay Packers didn’t need that extra week to lock up the top spot in the NFC. The Packers clinched the No. 1 seed and the conference’s lone bye week after decimating the rival Minnesota Vikings on national television.
After their NSFW performance against the Vikings, Green Bay has the luxury of phoning in their Week 18 game against the Detroit Lions. With a guaranteed playoff bye week, the outcome of the Detroit game is meaningless.
Hold that thought, though. Despite the game’s outcome meaning nothing to Green Bay’s regular season, the game still should be taken seriously. While the benefits of a week off for the starters are tempting, Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Aaron Jones, and the rest of the star Packers players should see some playing time in Week 18 to stay sharp for the playoffs and maintain momentum.
The league’s Coach of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and Offensive Player of the Year all agree. Matt LaFleur, Rodgers, and Adams have all expressed that the starters will most likely play.
Following the evisceration of the Vikings, Adams told reporters, “I want to get out there and run around a little bit for sure.”
Rodgers agreed, saying that while he doesn’t need to play, he’s been “in the zone” and wants to keep that going.
Momentum is the key reason the Packers need to play this Sunday. “I’m not comfortable with essentially a three-week layoff. Bottom line is we have to go in there and perform,” LaFleur said on Monday. And he’s absolutely right.
Green Bay is heating up at the right time. They played their most complete game of the season against the Vikings. Sure, they played a backup quarterback who had minimal preparation time, but you play who’s on your schedule. Rodgers has been lightning since Thanksgiving, rivaling some of his best stretches. A three-week break would be a massive momentum killer for a team on the rise.
Let’s not forget, this is already a team with a massive problem with slow starts. The Packers are as proactive in the first quarter as I am (not at all). Letting more rust settle on top of these slow starts is a recipe for disaster. And starting slowly against the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Vikings is one thing. It’ll be much harder to come back from a potential deficit against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, or Arizona Cardinals.
Green Bay also has a real shot and getting David Bakhtiari and Jaire Alexander back as early as this week. On Monday, LaFleur told the media the ideal circumstance would be for Bakhtiari to play against Detroit to get some practice before the postseason. He also said that Alexander could play even if his COVID designation limited his practice time, health willing.
Getting two star players back is a massive gain for this team, but throwing them directly into a playoff game isn’t ideal. Playing against the far less threatening Lions is a great way to get both players back into the swing of things and shake off the rust. Getting Bakhtiari and Alexander playing time with the other starts is crucial to getting everything ready for the Super Bowl push.
Let’s get the obvious caveats against playing starters out of the way — this team is beat up and has been all season. Rodgers has barely practiced due to his toe. An extra week of rest would be good for the team, and risking injuries to your players is bad.
But the players too beat up to play aren’t going to play anyway. Despite what disgruntled former tight ends may think, Green Bay is consistently conservative, bringing players back from injuries. The medical staff knows what they’re doing. In addition, players are lost to the COVID/reserve list at an ever-increasing rate. A player could be out for a game even without stepping foot inside Ford Field.
Sunday’s game would also be a fantastic opportunity for Jordan Love to get some valuable, somewhat meaningful reps as well. While a better look at Love’s progression is invaluable, especially with Rodgers’ status for next season uncertain, the priority for this team needs to be the Super Bowl. Let the starters play the first half, then give Love his time to shine.
Plus, the world is practically ending anyway; let’s go out with a bang. This season has repeatedly been referred to as a last dance. The Packers should do everything possible to end the season with a championship. If that means playing a meaningless half against the Lions to keep momentum, so be it.
There are many good reasons to rest the starters this week. But this is a team of competitors, and they’re heating up at the right time. Three weeks off could prove too costly to overcome in a big moment. Give the starters at least some playing time to stay sharp, and let that momentum bring the Lombardi Trophy home.
