Green Bay Packers (1-0) at Detroit Lions (0-1): Pregame thoughts

I didn't get to post near as much as I wanted to this weekend, thanks to unforeseen circumstances. Losing power for 8+ hours on a HUMID AS HELL Saturday afternoon.

Around 12:45, while I was watching Sparty slog through their game, "KABLOOIE" (or something like that) went my power. The worst part of the day, other than the dampness hanging around like an annoying mother-in-law, and having to ice down much of my food, was having to listen to Michigan - Notre Dame over the radio.

Michigan's radio broadcast team of Frank Beckmann and Jim Brandstater were awful. I don't mind homerism, but these guys are sooooo far over the top in their Michigan can do no wrong, Wolverines never lose, just run out of time boosterism, you don't get a true feel for the game.

I've listened to them for an entire game twice over the past 2 years, the embarrassing Appy State loss (thanks to the Big !0 Network clusterfuck) and yesterday's "oh the humanity" style debacle. A pair of losses as ugly as they get. I don't think I'll do it again, as my track record sucks, and Beckmann/Brandstatter combo sucks even more.

Anyway, with my venting out of the way, let's move on the game of the day, Lions- Packers! Well, it's the game of the day...to me.

We have today's inactives:

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

Lions inactives: QB Drew Stanton, CB Ramzee Robinson, LB Gilbert Gardner, G Manny Ramirez, DE Corey Smith, DT Andre Fluellen, DE Landon Cohen.

So much for the rumor of Ramirez starting, and my being able to write "That's just Manny being Manny" in the live blog. The one notable name missing is the Packers' starting RB Ryan Grant, who was listed as questionable all week. No way in Hell would Grant miss a chance to go against the Lions sieve-like defense. He should get 100 yards rushing only running on one leg.

The 4 things I'm watching, dammit!

(Why only 4? I normally write this on Saturday night, but I couldn't, or more correctly, was too crabby to write, for the reasons mentioned above. So I'm running short on time, with kickoff only 10 minutes away)

Can the Lions' D play better? Can they play, period?

After one of the more inept defensive performances in memory, the Lions have to play a much better team than Atlanta, in Green Bay. I'm not expecting much, if any, in the way of improvement. The Lions' best defense will be their offense keeping their defense off the field.

This is the Lions first home game of the season. Will it have the atmosphere of a road game?

The Lions barely sold out the game. Their own fans are royally pissed off. Packers fans travel damn well, with beer and brats in tow. If the Lions get off to a bad start, which is entirely possible, between the Packers fans being their normal batshit crazy selves, and Detroit fans being their normal angry as Hell selves, turning on their own team, it could get real ugly, real quick at Ford Field. I'm really curious to see fan reaction as the game goes on.

Roy Williams, where are you?

Calvin Johnson got the vast majority of passes thrown to him by the God Warrior last Sunday. The Lions need to have their cocky ass wide out more involved in the offense for them to be successful. Let alone they won't have a chance in Hell keeping Roy after this season if he becomes an offensive afterthought.

Will Detroit's running game be productive enough to run lots and lots of clock?

The best way to limit the damage the Packers inflict on the Lions' defense is to keep their asses off the field. Detroit's O-line, Kevin Smith and Rudi Johnson need to be up to the task.

I see JC Pearson and Matt Massavigina on my TV, the game is about to start. So is my live blogging...