Rain appears to be in the future for Lions vs. Packers, and that’s got Dan Campbell EXCITED.
As of Friday morning, the weather forecast for Detroit LIons vs. Green Bay Packers is a rainy day in Lambeau. Per The Weather Channel, it should be a high of 52 degrees with a 97 chance of precipitation (half an inch of rain in total). Throw in 10-to-20 mile per hour winds, and it’ll definitely be a game “in the elements” on FOX at 4:25 p.m. ET this week.
Lions coach Dan Campbell couldn’t sound more excited about it. While the Lions don’t typically play outside—this is the first of three outdoor games on the schedule—Campbell believe this is how real football is played.
“We’ll be in the elements, which is great,” Campbell said Friday morning. “This is like one of those (games)—you hope for this. I think we’ll be (in the) all-white (uniforms), so we’ll have the grass stains and everything rolling, man, it’s going to be good-old football, the way it’s meant to be played.”
The Lions may be a stadium team, but they’re built for weather games. With a heavy reliance on the running game (30.9 rushing attempts per game, eighth most) and a focus on stopping the run, Detroit won’t mind getting into a physical contest against their division rivals. And while rain can cause wet football and subsequent turnovers, Detroit only has five giveaways on the season, tied for fourth fewest.
“I think we’re very comfortable playing in whatever the elements are, honestly,” Campbell said. “Our quarterback’s played pretty good, I feel like we’ve taken care of the football, although that’s always going to be an emphasis. Wet ball, those things are going to come up because it is, it’s going to be a little more slick and then folks aren’t catching the football, we’ll have the high winds with the water. And so, all of those become a factor, but the great news is both teams play with it. You’re both on the same area, under the same conditions, and so we’ll be fine.”
Lambeau Field has notoriously had issues with slippery grass conditions. So much so that early this week—even before the weather forecast turned—Campbell was already stressing the importance of cleat selection. On Friday, he emphasized that the field condition is going to feel different to some of the younger players, who are used to playing in the south.
“I know we have a number of young guys that, they’ve been playing on that Bermuda, man, and it’s getting full sun and warm and everything’s great and you can go out there barefooted and you’ll stick, whereas it’s just not that way (in Green Bay),” Campbell said. “Now, it’s not like this isn’t a good turf, I mean, they’ve done a good job and it’ll be good, it’s just, you have to be aware of it. You’ve got to wear the right cleats and as long as you do, you’ll be fine.”
All week, the Lions have practiced outside, even in lieu of their typical indoor Friday session. So they should be prepared this Sunday with the NFC North lead on the line.
“Excited, great opponent, but our guys are fired up, man. They’re looking forward to this,” Campbell said.
