Bell Tolls: Toughest task of the weekend? Beat Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay

This is such a fitting challenge for the Detroit Lions.

To win the franchise's first division title since 1993, the Lions merely have to dethrone the three-time defending NFC North champion Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

It would include beating all sorts of history, distant and recent.

The Lions haven't defeated the Packers in Wisconsin since 1991, which represents 23 chances, including the playoffs.

Aaron Rodgers hasn't thrown an interception all season at home, where the Pack averages 41.4 points per game.

Detroit's quarterback, Matthew Stafford, has never won an NFL game on the road against a team that finished better than .500.

Such trends underscore the bottom line: No NFL team has a tougher task in Week 17.

Yet there are few teams seemingly as equipped to pull off an upset like the Lions.

It doesn't hurt to have a Lombardi in the house. But Lions offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi – who has a lifetime pass for admission to the Packers Hall of Fame – hardly draws comparisons to Vince, his legendary late grandfather.

Besides, Detroit's chances start and end with a defense challenged to slow down Rodgers.

Again.

Here's another case pitting a prolific offense against a standout defense.

In Week 3 at Ford Field, defense won as the Lions claimed a 16-7 slugfest.

Can they do it again?

"I don't know if you replicate anything because each game is its own individual entity," Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told reporters this week. "What we're going to try to do is keep those same principles that we had the first game. Try to stop the running game, try to make sure they don't throw the ball over our heads. I think we did that the first game and that's why we had some success."

Austin has done a phenomenal job in his first year as a coordinator, after following new Lions coach Jim Caldwell from the Baltimore Ravens staff.

Caldwell has refashioned Detroit's identity – even though a couple of incidents from last week's win at Chicago were reminiscent of the Jim Schwartz years, with center Dominic Raiola drawing a one-game NFL suspension for stomping on Ego Ferguson's leg and defensive end Ziggy Ansah drawing a $22,050 fine for a flagrant helmet-to-helmet shot on Jimmy Clausen – to reflect better balance.

The offense isn't as prolific as it has been, having rolled through various injuries as it adjusts to a new system with a hit-or-miss quality. Stafford is on pace for his fewest passing yards in a full season, but his efficiency is at its highest level in three seasons. When Detroit last made the playoffs in 2011, Stafford passed for more than 5,000 yards…but the Lions fielded a papier-mâché defense.

This season, the Lions have been so balanced that they won all three games they played without all-pro wideout Calvin Johnson, aka "Megatron," which would have been unheard of in previous years.

Yet it was possible because Austin has pushed the buttons and produced a second-ranked defense that is Detroit's best in decades, which includes a top-ranked run defense performing at the sixth-best clip (63.8 yards/game) in NFL history.

There are playmakers on every level, including active linebacker DeAndre Levy and ball-hawking safety Glover Quin, who leads the NFL with seven interceptions.

The first really big statement for the new and improved defense, though, came against Green Bay.

Detroit held the Packers to season lows for points (7), total yards (223) and passing yards (147), by executing a game plan that bottled up Eddie Lacy (36 rushing yards) and contained Rodgers with consistent pressure from a front four that not only hurried throws but also kept the quarterback from extending plays and throwing from outside of the pocket – a signature mark to his success.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, Detroit – with the strength of the defense flowing from Pro Bowl D-tackle Ndamukong Suh up the middle -- blitzed Rodgers on just 14% of his dropbacks while typically dropping seven defenders in coverage to clog the passing lanes. That's been the formula to beat Rodgers this season, as Seattle, New Orleans and Buffalo won with similar low blitz numbers – in their own stadiums, it should be noted.

Rodgers had such a frustrating outing at Detroit that in the aftermath he urged fans to "R-E-L-A-X," rather than panic over the team's 1-2 start.

Since then, Rodgers has produced the type of season – 36 TD passes, 5 INTs -- that has made him the favorite to win his second NFL MVP award.

At home, he's triggered Green Bay's tendency to pounce on opponents early and build huge leads that set the tone for a game of catch-up that Rodgers has won every time this season. He carries an NFL record streak of 396 passes without an interception, dating to December of 2012.

Location obviously makes a difference for the Packers.

How the venue – and the prowess of the home team's offense -- changes the pattern for the Lions defense could provide the ultimate barometer on Sunday.

Good defenses travel well. That's why this season's Lions stand a better chance to win in Green Bay than in other years. But it remains to be seen whether defense can pass its toughest test of the season.

The same principles exist. Close the cracks of daylight for Lacy. Keep Rodgers in the pocket. Don't allow Jordy Nelson to get behind the coverage.

The Lions know what to do. Yet that's only the beginning.

Who's hot: Philip Rivers. Never mind the bulging disk in his back, or the rib and chest injuries. The Chargers head to Kansas City with a win-and-they're-in playoff scenario behind the quarterback who has started 142 consecutive games and was at his best in leading the big comeback at San Francisco last weekend. The 11th-year pro has had better seasons statistically, but this one has been stamped with his ability to seemingly will the Chargers to comeback victories during a couple wins down the stretch (including the job at Baltimore, Week 13) that could have otherwise canceled playoff hopes.

Key matchup: Jonathan Stewart vs. Paul Worrilow. The Falcons' suspect defense handled Mark Ingram and Le'Veon Bell the past two weeks (allowing 2.6 yards per carry), with over-achieving linebacker Worrilow typically in the midst of the action with his team-high 136 tackles. A different type of test looms in the winner-take-all showdown for the NFC South crown because Stewart – who has rushed for an NFL-high 437 yards and 5.6 yards per carry since Week 13 – is accompanied by Cam Newton's threat to take off and run. So Stewart, back in stride after missing three games early in the season with a knee injury, is just part of the worry.

Pressure's on: Mike Smith. In his first six seasons as head coach, Smith guided Atlanta to four playoff berths. But the patience of team owner Arthur Blank will be tested if the Falcons don't win on Sunday and maybe even advance deep into the playoffs. Since losing the 2012 NFC title game, the Falcons are 10-21 and won consecutive games just once during that span. For Smith's sake, this would be a good time to produce a long winning streak.

Next man up: Chase Daniel. The lacerated spleen that suddenly sidelined Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith sets the stage for Daniel's second career start. Oddly, Daniel's other start in his five-year career also came against the Chargers in a season finale, last year, when San Diego won by a field goal to make the playoffs. Now the Chiefs' faint playoff hopes are attached to the finale, too. For extra intrigue, we'll see if Daniel's presence will result in the first TD reception of the season for a Chiefs wide receiver.

Rookie watch: Martavis Bryant. The Bengals allowed a season-high 543 yards against the Steelers in Week 14, with 94 coming on one huge chunk as Ben Roethlisberger found Bryant over the top on a go route. Such a long-ball threat is a perfect complement to sting defenses having to account for NFL receiving leader Antonio Brown (122 catches, 1,570 yards, 12 TDs) and AFC rushing leader Le'Veon Bell (1,341 yards). It's no coincidence that Bryant's role and impact increased as Pittsburgh lessened its dependence on the no-huddle package, which was difficult for the rookie to process on the fly.

Stat's the fact: Since the NFL expanded its playoff field to 12 teams in 1990, at least four teams in each season qualified for the playoffs after not getting in the previous season. That streak has continued with Arizona, Dallas, Detroit and Pittsburgh clinching spots – and the number could increase with Atlanta, Baltimore and Houston entering Week 17 on the playoff fence.