Can the Green Bay Packers' elite defense shut down the Detroit Lions' explosive offense? Key individual battles will decide Thanksgiving's NFC North showdown.
This one is not for all the marbles, but it certainly feels big, doesn't it? Perhaps on a day like today, we can say that it's for all the turkey.
The 7-3-1 Green Bay Packers will spend Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field, taking on the 7-4 Detroit Lions in an all-important game for the NFC North and NFC as a whole.
The Packers have already beaten the Lions this season, but this isn't the Lions of Thanksgiving's past, remember. They've won the NFC North two years in a row and though they don't look like the juggernaut that they've been over the past two seasons, this is a team that can absolutely leave you in the dust.
The Lions are averaging 378.5 yards and 29.6 points per game, which are both near the top of the NFL. In the meantime, the Packers are averaging 338.9 and 23.9 points per game, but their defense has been elite.
Green Bay is giving up just 278.7 yards and 18.4 points per game on defense.
“We're getting toward the end here, so to speak, and I think every game’s a little bit more magnified,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said, per ESPN.
These three matchups will determine whether or not the Packers can go to 2-0 against the Lions this season and 3-0 against the NFC North as a whole.
Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs vs. Packers' front seven#
You've got to give credit where it is due. Jahmyr Gibbs has likely become the very best running back in the NFL. At the very least, with the way he's playing, he's the most explosive.
Gibbs has rushed for 951 yards and 10 touchdowns this season while adding 379 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver. He can take it to the house anytime he gets the football in his hands, and he can win a game single-handedly for Detroit.
The Packers' front-seven must focus on containing Gibbs. From there, they can force Jared Goff to try to win the game for the Lions, and he has been prone to mistakes and bad play this season when under pressure.
Packers' star pass-rusher Micah Parsons vs. Lions' offensive line #
For as much as Gibbs is a game-changer for Detroit's offense, Parsons is that same type of player for the Packers' defense.
He's notched 10 sacks so far this season and has put up several multi-sack games. He's sixth in the NFL with 20 quarterback hits and third in the NFL in pass-rush-win-rating at 23%.
As mentioned, Goff has always been a bit antsy in the pocket when he's under pressure, and he's been pretty bad in that regard over Detroit's past two games. He's thrown two interceptions compared to three touchdowns in the last two games and has been sacked five times.
Against the Packers the first time around, Green Bay got to Goff five times.
Parsons made all-pro right tackle Penei Sewell look average in Week 1. If he can do that again on Thanksgiving, the Pack have a great chance to come away with a win.
Lions' star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson vs. Packers' offensive line #
Aidan Hutchinson is right there with Parsons when you discuss the best pass-rushers in the NFL. He's notched 8.5 sacks and four forced fumbles this season and could absolutely wreck Green Bay's offensive plan if the Pack doesn't lock him up.
In Week 1, Hutchinson was playing for the first time in almost a year after breaking his leg in two places in 2024. He's since knocked the rust off.
Pressures against Jordan Love have been a problem in each of the Packers three losses this season, so this game could very well be won or lost depending on if Green Bay can contain Hutchinson.