Green Bay Packers give regulars plenty of rest, fall to Detroit Lions 37-30 in playoff tuneup

From JSOnline:

Jan 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions safety Dean Marlowe (31) breaks up a pass intended for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (19) during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Raj Mehta, Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

DETROIT – In a game with two teams having opposite seasons, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions entered Sunday’s regular-season finale with opposite approaches.

For the Packers, Week 18 felt like a glorified exhibition. A week after clinching the NFC’s top seed, the Packers pulled Aaron Rodgers and many other key starters before halftime. They no doubt heavily scaled back their scheme, intent on not showing any usable film to whoever their NFC divisional round playoff opponent is in two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Lions treated Sunday much like their own Super Bowl, pulling out the full bag of tricks including two reverse passes that went for touchdowns and a fake punt.

Read more: https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2022/01/09/green-bay-packers-give-starters-some-rest-fall-detroit-lions-37-30/9149948002/