Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
The Packers overcame a 14-3 deficit after the first quarter and outscored the Lions 39-7 the rest of the way to handle the Lions on Sunday. Today was the Aaron Jones show. He put up 236 total yards and three touchdowns on 22 touches. The Lions, meanwhile, blew their second lead of the season on their way to their 11th consecutive loss dating back to last year.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford: 20/33, 244 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 4 Sacks | 1 carry, 4 yards
Matthew Stafford had a tough assignment facing a strong Packers pass rush without two of his starting offensive linemen and his top wide receiver. Midway through the third with the Lions down 10, Stafford threw a back-breaking pick-six from his own seven-yard line. Stafford did hit Marvin Jones Jr. for a short touchdown early in the ball game and Marvin Hall for a nice 24-yard score late in the fourth quarter to bring the score to two possessions. The Lions face the Arizona Cardinals next week, which should be a positive matchup for Stafford, especially if Kenny Golladay is healthy.
Running Backs
Adrian Peterson: 7 carries, 41 yards
D’Andre Swift: 5 carries, 12 yards | 5 targets, 5 receptions, 60 yards
Kerryon Johnson: 8 carries, 32 yards, 1 TD | 1 target
This is the exact situation we don’t want for fantasy football purposes. A true three-man running back committee. None of them are really exciting to play on a week to week basis right now. Kerryon Johnson got all of the work on the first drive and got the 1-yard touchdown plunge. Adrian Peterson and D’Andre Swift split the second drive and then Johnson came back out for the third drive. Swift seems to be the preferred running back in the passing game which helped his cause in garbage time today. However, until this situation gets whittled down to a two-man committee, this is a situation to avoid most weeks.
Lions final HB snap count
Kerryon Johnson 20
D'Andre Swift 19
Adrian Peterson 15
Ty Johnson 5— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) September 20, 2020
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Marvin Jones: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 23 yards, 1 TD
T.J. Hockenson: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 62 yards
Danny Amendola: 7 targets, 2 receptions, 21 yards
Quintez Cephus.: 3 targets, 3 reception, 54 yards
Marvin Hall: 2 targets, 1 reception, 24 yards, 1 TD
It was the second week without stud receiver Kenny Golladay and there were some solid performances out of this receiving group. Marvin Jones had a short red zone touchdown on the first drive of the game but didn’t do much else in the game. T.J. Hockenson had a couple of chunk plays, including a 29-yard reception; he is averaging 13 PPR points per game through two weeks. The secondary pieces did not do much of note. Marvin Hall caught a nice 24-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter for his only catch of the day. The receiving corps will look a lot better with their best receiver hopefully coming back next week.
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers: 18/30, 240 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT, 1 Sack | 2 carries, 12 yards
Aaron Rodgers kept rolling in Week 2 with two more passing touchdowns and no turnovers. He wasn’t asked to do a lot in this one, as the Packers had a big second-half lead and they ran the ball more than they threw it. Rodgers had two short red-zone touchdowns (7,11 yards). It was interesting to see the Packers not attack the Lions’ depleted secondary more; we saw this a lot last season where the running game was the top priority. He is averaging 25 fantasy points per game through two weeks and is tied with a few others for the league-lead in touchdown passes with six. Rodgers lost his center and top wide receiver in this one. Those injuries are something to keep an eye on going forward, especially the Davante Adams hamstring injury. Rodgers and the Packers will travel to New Orleans next week in a difficult matchup against a tough Saints defense.
Running Backs
Aaron Jones: 18 carries, 168 yards, 2 TDs | 8 targets, 4 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD
Jamaal Williams: 8 carries, 63 yards
AJ Dillon: 5 carries, 17 yards
Aaron Jones exploded in week two after his quiet but productive first week. Jones rushed for a career-high 168 yards and had three total scores. He continued to have a major role in the passing game, scored a long 75-yard touchdown, and had more than double the number of opportunities as Jamaal Williams. After having the second-most targets a week ago, he led the group today with eight and a score. Weekly, Jones will be one of the most involved running backs in the passing game, and week in and week out have opportunities for massive games like this. Jones had 26 opportunities in week two after having 22 in week one and is a true RB1 right now in fantasy leagues. It was discouraging to not see any passing game usage for Williams this week after he had a few targets in week one. He is currently one of the better handcuffs in football. This group has a tough matchup against the Saints next week.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Davante Adams: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 36 yards
Allen Lazard: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 45 yards
Marquez Valdes-Scantling: 7 targets, 3 receptions, 64 yards
Robert Tonyan: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 25 yards, 1 TD
Davante Adams left this game in the second half with a hamstring injury and all eyes are on that heading into Week 3. He really didn’t produce much during the time he was in the game. There is no doubt Adams is a top-five receiver option whenever he is healthy and playing in any given week. Marquez Valdes-Scantling had a nice 41-yard long reception and he continues to be the deep shot guy in this offense. He was inefficient with his targets, catching less than half of them. With this usage, he will be a very volatile option for fantasy owners. Allen Lazard continued his role as a tall, big-bodied possession type receiver and may be asked to step up big time if Adams misses any time. If Adams can’t play next week against the Saints, there isn’t much to be excited about with this unit.
-Kevin Taylor (@ktbeast918 on Twitter)