Packers Bust Seals His Fate With Embarrassing Effort vs. Lions

The Green Bay Packers came agonizingly close to leaving Detroit with a win on Thursday night. A few calls going their way or an extra stop or two would have given the Packers the win and ended the Lions' ten-game winning streak.

There were certainly plenty of positive takeaways from the game. The Packers played well enough to win against the best team in the NFL, and that is a great sign as we head towards the playoffs.

At the same time, there were a few frustrating individual performances for the Packers. Eric Stokes, who has been a constant thorn in the side of Packers fans, delivered yet another disappointing performance against the explosive Lions offense.

The former first-round pick was once again targeted relentlessly by Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. In the fourth quarter, Lions receiver Tim Patrick easily beat Stokes in the end zone without breaking much of a sweat to score his second TD of the game.

After a promising rookie season, Stokes has had a frustrating NFL career. Injuries have marred the 2022 and 2023 seasons for the former Georgia standout. Fully healthy in his fourth season, there were high expectations for Stokes. However, he has continued to underwhelm. He has allowed a 108.8 passer rating when targeted, giving up three touchdowns, and putting up a miserable 53.2 PFF grade for the season.

Packers fans have been calling for a reduction of his snaps but the coaching staff doesn't seem to agree. Stokes has continued to play over half of the defensive snaps in each of the last three games. Jaire Alexander's absence has played a part in this but it is obvious that Stokes needs to be benched sooner than later.

Stokes will be a free agent at the end of the season after the Packers didn't pick up his fifth-year option. It is hard to see him back with the team in the offseason, signaling the end of the road in Titletown for the once-promising defender.

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