By Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press –
DETROIT — It’s no secret the Lions have had a tumultuous off-season with several off-field arrests the past six months.
Opponents have certainly noticed.
Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings, a Western Michigan product and Kalamazoo, Mich., native, openly wondered if the Lions had enough maturity to maintain their composure on the field.
He recognizes the Lions, fresh off their first postseason appearance since 1999, are on the rise, but it doesn’t help that even before the off-season, the team has had lingering character issues on the field with a rash of penalties in 2011.
Jennings was at Ford Field for Ndamukong Suh’s infamous stomp on lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith on Thanksgiving.
“Can they maintain their composure, both on the field and off the field?” Jennings asked. “They’re a very talented team, but they have struggles on the field containing their composure, and definitely, the things we’ve heard of, them being in the media with off-the-field problems and off-the-field issues. Can they maintain their composure? Can they be a professional ball club for 16, 17, 18 solid weeks throughout the regular season?”
Jennings didn’t play in the regular-season finale against the Lions last season, but caught five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown on Thanksgiving. He caught 67 passes for 949 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2011.
The two teams play Nov. 18 in Detroit and Dec. 9 in Green Bay this season.
