Just three weeks ago the Lions gave the Packers all they wanted, and actually led 20-14 with 4:25 left in regulation, before losing 24-20.
Coming close but not being able to seal the deal has been the story for the 4 and 8 Lions, whose average margin of defeat is just a shade over 5 points.
The degree of difficulty in handing Detroit its 5th straight loss depends, to a large extent, on the Lions themselves. While their record says it, have the players reached the point where it's wait until next year. Personal opinion, but that doesn't happen as easily as most people would assume.
By and large, players who make the NFL grade have an abundance of personal pride and competitiveness. Those qualities don't normally take days off. The thing that does happen to a team that has fallen out of the playoff chase is that its common goal, its common purpose, is gone, and with it the collective energy that comes from having a common goal or purpose. You lose a little bit of your edge as a team, but it means a lot.
No question the Packers are a banged up football team, but all their hopes, dreams and aspirations for this season are still alive. The Lions have enough talent to make it interesting, but at the end of the day, they've run out of hope, and that matters.
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