Survey: How important is a Lions win over the Packers?

Checking in with Detroit Lions fans in our weekly SB Nation Reacts surveys.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Detroit Lions fans and fans across the country.
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In this week’s SB Reacts survey, we present two questions to the Lions fan base:

1. Are you confident the Lions are headed in the right direction? (asked weekly)
2. In terms of organizational direction, how important is a Lions win over the Packers?

Let’s start with the weekly poll.

At the peak of the Lions’ success this season, 99% of Lions fans believed the team was headed in the right direction. And while there have been some bumps in the road down the stretch, fans remain among the most confident in the league (94% after Week 16), believing in the leadership provided by the general manager Brad Holmes/coach Dan Campbell regime. Now, after dominating the Bears in Week 17, it’s time once again to vote for how confident you are in the direction of the Lions organization.

While fans appear to be firmly behind the Lions, there remains one critical game remaining on the 2022-23 regular season schedule: at Lambeau field against the Green Bay Packers. At this time, the game carries playoff implications for both teams, but once kickoff starts, that option for the Lions may no longer remain if the Rams fail to beat (or tie) the Seahawks.

But this game could provide value beyond the playoffs for the Lions.

If the Lions win, even if playoffs are off the table, they would play spoiler to the division-rival Packers, knocking them out of the postseason. A win would also indicate a potential changing of the guard in the NFC North, as the Lions’ 2022 record within the division would be 5-1, setting them up as potential NFC North favorites in 2023. A win would give the Lions a 9-8 record on the season and would be the first time since 2017 that the team was able to break the .500 mark.

Simply put, a win could change the offseason narrative for who the Lions are and what they can become.

At the same time, being 8-8 in January at the end of year two of a total rebuild is awfully impressive. This organization overcame a 1-6 start to the season and put themselves ahead of the curve as far as expectations. So there is also an argument to be made that this team has already accomplished so much, perceptions of how they are progressing shouldn’t be impacted regardless of the outcome of this single game.

So, to you, how important is this game in determining the organizational direction?

Time to vote.