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GREEN BAY (1-0) at DETROIT (0-1)
Sunday, Sept. 14 | Ford Field | 12 p.m. CDT

WITH THE CALL

-FOX Sports enters its 15th season as an NFL network television partner and will air the contest to a regional audience. Play-by-play man Matt Vasgersian joins color commentator JC Pearson in the broadcast booth with Charissa Thompson serving as the sideline reporter. (God, they suck)

INJURY REPORT

-Halfback Ryan Grant practiced Friday after only limited work the previous two days and has a decent of playing for the Packers on Sunday at Detroit.

-Grant, who has a hamstring injury, took part in all drills Friday and is listed as "questionable" (50 percent chance of playing) on the Packers' official injury report. He said that in practice Friday he felt better than at any time last week in practice; on Monday night he had 12 carries in the Packers' win over Minnesota.

-Ruvell Martin, the Packers' No. 4 receiver, also is questionable because of a broken finger. He practiced all week with a club-like cast to protect his left hand, but to play he'd have to reduce that to a splint. With receiver James Jones back this week from a knee injury, the Packers might be considering sitting Martin on Sunday so his finger can heal enough to allow him to play without concern of making the injury worse.

-Backup safeties Aaron Rouse (ankle) and Charlie Peprah (hamstring) both are questionable, though Peprah took part in all drills Friday, whereas Rouse did not practice. Cornerback Charles Woodson (toe) also is questionable.

-Center Scott Wells (back) and guard Josh Sitton (knee) are out.




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1-0 GREEN BAY PACKERS HIT THE ROAD

-Green Bay begins the road portion of the 2008 schedule with its annual trip to Detroit, its second division game in as many weeks.

-The Packers come into the contest fresh off a 24-19 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. It was the Packers' fifth consecutive win over the Vikings, the longest winning streak in the series in nearly 25 years.

-The team hopes to improve upon another divisional winning streak, having won five straight over Detroit. A sixth straight win would match the longest winning streak in the series since the Lions won 11 straight from 1949-54.

-Green Bay has won 13 of the last 15 over Detroit. Both of those losses (2003 and '05) have come at Ford Field.

-Including a pair of playoff clashes in the early 1990s, this week marks Game No. 158 in the venerable Detroit-Green Bay series. No other NFL teams have played every year since 1932, when the Packers first met the Lions, then known as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans.

-Green Bay has won three of its last four road openers. The lone loss over that period came in Detroit in 2005.

-Detroit returns to Ford Field for its home opener after falling to Atlanta, 34-21, in Week 1.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR AT FORD FIELD

-Green Bay's primary running backs, Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson, will be watching the film with wide eyes this week. That's because Detroit surrendered a league-high 318 rushing yards in Week 1.

-Kalamazoo, Mich., native Greg Jennings loves playing near his hometown. In two career games at Ford Field, the third-year wideout from Western Michigan has eight catches for 161 yards and three TDs.

-Another Michigan native, defensive end Cullen Jenkins (Belleville), likes to play against his hometown team. He established career highs in tackles (7) and sacks (3) against the Lions.

-Something about the Lions defense seems to bring out the best in Green Bay. The Packers have scored more points (3,216 in reg. season) against the Lions than any other franchise.

-There will be quite a matchup on the outside when the Lions' offense takes the field. Dynamic wideouts Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams square off against veteran corners Al Harris and Charles Woodson.

I'll add the injury report tomorrow when it's released. Bad news for Woodson today with the broken toe, hopefully it won't be a nagging injury. MM already said he expects him to play Sunday.

Pretty sure Greg Jennings is a third-year wideout.

trwi7 wrote:Pretty sure Greg Jennings is a third-year wideout.

That is true. George Calhoun must be turning in his grave.

Just a few hours ago, the Lions reported that they still had 3,100 tickets remaining and if they didn't sell out by 1 p.m. Thursday, the Sunday game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers at Ford Field would not be televised locally.

Furniture store Gardner-White, however, never let it get to that stage. The store purchased the remaining tickets Wednesday evening and the blackout has now been lifted.

That's pretty pathetic, but can't blame the fans.

Expecting a lot of Packer fans at the game, should be like a home game.

Go Pack Go!!

My buddy who just moved to Michigan bought tickets for $54 a piece. I thought that was a steal, but it looks like I was terribly wrong. Lions are sad sacks.

I look at this game vs the Lions as one those games where the Packers should win but the Lions are more than capable of beating you if you dont come ready to play or play a sloppy game (turn-overs).

RB Ryan Grant (hamstring) and CB Charles Woodson (toe) will start despite their injuries.

Packers inactives: QB Brian Brohm (3rd QB), CB Pat Lee, S Charlie Peprah, C Scott Wells, G Josh Sitton, WR Ruvell Martin, TE Jermichael Finley, DE Jeremy Thompson.

Roy Williams is this weeks Jared Allen:

# Roy Williams, however, came out swinging against Al Harris, who Williams used to think was the best corner in the league. "He's just a bump-and-run guy," Williams said. "He's more physical when he has a safety over the top. When he doesn't have that safety help, he's not as physical as he wants to be. I have to put Nnamdi (Asomugha of the Raiders) in front of him. Nnamdi is a guy who will bump-and-run you all day, and he don't want no help if teams are going to throw his way. That's the type of corner I'm impressed with."

# Williams also went on to say Harris plays illegally. "Not at all," Williams said. "If you saw the Monday night game, down the field, it looked like Minnesota's game plan. Just throw it deep, because they know that he's going to be all over you and hope to get that yardage."

He's right on one thing, at least. If I were playing the Packers I'd thrown down the field all day long and wait for the flag.

If Brandon Jackson sucks in this game I think it's time to get rid of him.

I can't believe that the spread on this game is only 3 points.

Dang, if only he could have broken that last tackle

What a moronic 1st series that was. We telegraph run on 2nd and long and then once again make a pass well short of a 1st down on third. My only problem with Aaron is his lack of aggressiveness on 3rd and medium-long. At least throw near the sticks. Half the time we throw dump off passes. Vasgersian commented that we only completed 40 percent or less of 3rd downs last week. That number needs to improve.

Bernman wrote: My only problem with Aaron is his lack of aggressiveness on 3rd and medium-long. At least throw near the sticks. Half the time we throw dump off passes.

Is that more Aaron or MM, though?

Jollay wrote:

Bernman wrote: My only problem with Aaron is his lack of aggressiveness on 3rd and medium-long. At least throw near the sticks. Half the time we throw dump off passes.

Is that more Aaron or MM, though?

I would guess it's Aaron carrying out MM's directive....but he has the power to audible. So it's on both parties.

We need to pass the ball a few times when Grant is in. The running it every time he is on the field is too predictable.

Nice to have James Jones back...

I saw the left side of left side of that Detroit line was open. Good call by MM.

TD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


James Jones!!! IS BACK!!!