- First it was Minnesota's Josh Robinson. Now it is Casey Hayward. The rookie cornerback for the Green Bay Packers from Vanderbilt, who is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with five after picking off Lions' QB Matthew Stafford in the second quarter Sunday, was taken in the second round with the 62nd overall pick of April's NFL Draft, eight picks after Detroit selected wide receiver Ryan Broyles. We'll see how the Broyles' pick works out long term, but in the short term, it sure hasn't, considering the cornerbacks the Lions bypassed, who are having success with their NFC North rivals.
- Stafford plus a sidearm throw equals a recipe for disaster.
- The Lions' defensive line outplayed the Packers' offensive line in the half. It has been the biggest factor in the game so far. In 2010, when the Lions beat the Packers at Ford Field, that was also the case. It has made the Lions' flaws in the secondary less glaring, Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn't been sacked a lot, but he has been hurried. Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh have been especially effective for the Lions so far today.
- Running the ball proved to be the key for the Lions once they got into the scoring zone. They spread the field and ran up the middle. No problem.
- The Lions have their share of issues. I don't believe running back is one of them, Mikel Leshoure is running hard and displaying good speed today.The Lions are averaging more than four yards per rushing attempt. They just don't run the ball as often as other teams. Not all of it is offensive strategy. A lot of it has to do with the scoreboard. The Lions have been playing from behind most of this season.
- If Stafford doesn't take better care of the ball in the second half, the Lions have little chance of winning this game. That's the bottom line.