Lions at Packers Preview

Packers can reach playoffs if they avenge loss to Lions

The Green Bay Packers know they'll reach the playoffs if they beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday night

Various Sources

DETROIT (8-8) at GREEN BAY (8-8)

DATE / TIME / TV: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC

SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 105-74-7

LAST MEETING: Lions beat Packers 15-9 in Detroit on Nov. 6.

LAST WEEK: Lions beat Chicago Bears 41-10 at home; Packers beat Minnesota Vikings 41-17 at home.

LIONS OFFENSE: OVERALL (4), RUSH (11), PASS (8), SCORING (5)

PACKERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (16), RUSH (13), PASS (17), SCORING (14)

LIONS DEFENSE: OVERALL (32), RUSH (29), PASS (30), SCORING (29-T)

PACKERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (18), RUSH (26), PASS (4), SCORING (17)

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Lions plus-5, Packers plus-4

The Green Bay Packers know they will reach the postseason if they win Sunday night. The Detroit Lions' playoff prospects are a little more complicated. Even if Detroit (8-8) beats Green Bay (8-8), the Lions can reach the playoffs only if the Seattle Seahawks (8-8) lose to the Los Angeles Rams (5-11) earlier in the day. A victory by the Seahawks would eliminate the Lions.

The Lions insist they'll still have plenty of incentive to beat their NFC North rivals even if it has no impact on their own postseason fortunes. “There's other things on the line as far having a winning season and beating a division opponent that I feel like really doesn't respect us much at all,” Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye said. “There's a lot of other motivating factors. It's been one-sided for a long time, but this year we flipped the script. Everyone can kind of see that. They might still feel like this is the old Lions.” Much has changed for both teams since the last time these teams faced off. The Packers' 15-9 loss at Detroit on Nov. 6 capped a five-game skid that dropped Green Bay's record to 3-6. The Lions had a 1-6 record heading into that game. The Packers have reeled off four straight victories, thanks in part to a defense that has become adept at forcing takeaways. Green Bay's offense believes it also has improved since producing its lowest point total of the season during that trip to Detroit. '“We're just a way more confident team,'” Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard said. “We have our identity now. We know what we're fully capable of. If we just go out there and play our game, play hard for four quarters, we're more than certain the results will take care of themselves.” The Lions have won seven of their last nine games and are coming off a 41-10 blowout of the Chicago Bears. Detroit already has come a long way after going 3-13-1 last year in coach Dan Campbell's debut season. The Lions are seeking their first playoff berth since 2016 and have a chance to end a run of four straight losing seasons. “It's basically a playoff game for us,” Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. “We get to see the outcome of the Seahawks game, so we'll know before our game if we're playing for the playoffs or to spoil Green Bay. We want to win to have a winning record. That would mean so much after you look at how we started and going 3-13-1 last year. It just shows how far we've come. And for us, the future is now.”

LIONS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Jared Goff. In his 100th start in the NFL, he will try to be the best former Cal QB on the field as he matches up with four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. Detroit GM Brad Holmes, a former Los Angeles Rams executive, believed Goff as more than a placeholder when acquiring him and a pair of first-round picks for Matthew Stafford. Holmes’ view has been validated. Goff, who helped the Rams reach Super Bowl 53, has thrown 29 TD passes. His seventh and most recent interception was two months ago in a win over Green Bay.

PACKERS PLAYER TO WATCH: CB Jaire Alexander. Green Bay’s lone Pro Bowl selection is coming off a spectacular performance in which he had the primary coverage responsibilities on Vikings star WR Justin Jefferson, who had just one catch for 15 yards. Alexander has a career-high five interceptions this season and picked off Goff in that Nov. 6 game at Detroit. Goff hasn't thrown an interception since.

KEY MATCHUP: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers vs. Lions pass defense. Detroit has given up the most yards of any NFL team this season, but the Lions gave Green Bay’s offense all kinds of problems in their 15-9 victory over the Packers earlier this season. Rodgers threw three interceptions in that game to match a career high. The Lions will try to force Rodgers into more mistakes Sunday night.

INJURY REPORT: DETROIT: OUT: OT Kayode Awosika (ankle). QUESTIONABLE: DT Michael Brockers (ankle), FB Jason Cabinda (knee), S DeShon Elliot (shoulder), CB Jeff Okudah (elbow), C Frank Ragnow (foot). GREEN BAY: QUESTIONABLE: TE Josiah Deguara (calf).

REDEMPTION FOR RODGERS?: Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a chance to make up for his poor performance in the Nov. 6 loss at Detroit. Rodgers threw three interceptions in that game to match a career high as the Packers consistently misfired in the red zone. Rodgers isn't accustomed to struggling against the Lions. The Packers are 18-7 against the Lions in games Rodgers has started. There's a possibility this could be the last game at Lambeau Field for the 39-year-old Rodgers, who says he hasn't yet decided whether to play next season. Even if they reach the postseason, the Packers won't have any home playoff games. ''I've got a lot of great memories here at Lambeau and hopefully can add another one on Sunday,'' Rodgers said.

WILLIAMS' RETURN: Lions running back Jamaal Williams spent his first four NFL seasons with the Packers. In his second season with the Lions, Williams has an NFL-leading 15 touchdown runs. Williams remains popular with his former Packers teammates. Rodgers said that “everywhere he goes, he changes people for the better.” “He's one of my all-time favorites,” Rodgers said. “He's one of the happiest teammates we've ever had, one of the greatest guys in the locker room that I've been able to work with. Not just an absolute tough guy and a stud on the field but a great, interesting person off the field with all his various interests.”

GOFF'S GOOD, TOO: Rodgers, rightfully so, will get much of the attention during the TV broadcast as a four-time MVP. Lions quarterback Jared Goff, though, is no slouch. And like Rodgers, he's also a former California Golden Bears star. Goff threw three touchdowns in the Lions' blowout of the Bears. Goff, who helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl during the 2018 season, acknowledged he is probably playing the best of his seven-year career. ''He's been in some, as we know, huge games,'' Campbell said. “He's been in the big one, so this won't be anything new to him. I think it does help, especially in that position.”

FORCING TURNOVERS: The Packers have forced 12 turnovers during their four-game winning streak. That's the same number of takeaways they had through the first 12 games of the season. Green Bay's ball-hawking secondary will challenge Goff, who hasn't thrown an interception in his last eight games. The last player to intercept a pass by Goff was Green Bay's Jaire Alexander.

WATCH OUT FOR NIXON: Green Bay's Keisean Nixon leads the NFL in kickoff return yards (930) and kickoff return average (30.0). His 105-yarder Sunday in a 41-17 victory over Minnesota marked the first time since 2011 the Packers scored on a kickoff return.

SERIES NOTES: The Lions have won the past two meetings in this series, both in Detroit. The Lions won 37-30 in the final week of the 2021 regular season after the Packers already had clinched the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed. The Packers are 18-7 against the Lions in games Rodgers has started. Packers RB Aaron Jones has gained 471 yards from scrimmage and has scored seven TDs (three rushing, four receiving) in his past four games against the Lions.

STATS AND STUFF: The Packers have forced 12 turnovers during their four-game winning streak. That matches their total number of takeaways from their first 12 games of the season…  Packers CB/KR Keisean Nixon leads the NFL in total kickoff return yards (930) and kickoff return average (30.0). Nixon scored on a 105-yard kickoff return against the Vikings in the Packers’ previous game… Green Bay K Mason Crosby kicked a 56-yard field goal — the longest ever by a Packer at Lambeau Field — in the Vikings game… The Packers will earn their fourth straight playoff berth if they beat the Lions… To make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, Detroit needs to win and Seattle loses or ties the Los Angeles Rams at home earlier in the day Sunday… Both teams have played well lately. The Packers had been 4-8 before going on this winning streak. The Lions have won seven of nine games after a 1-6 start… The Lions' surge started with their victory over the Packers on Nov. 6… Detroit avoided losing 10-plus games for the first time since 2017… The Lions are averaging 27 points, ranking among the NFL leaders, and have set a franchise record by scoring 30-plus points a league-high eight times… Detroit has thrown for 4,000 yards and run for 2,000 — including 265 against Chicago — for the first time in franchise history… The Lions have an NFL-low 15 turnovers… Detroit is 404 yards of offense from breaking a team record set in 2012… Lions RB Jamaal Williams, who played for the Packers from 2017-2020, had a career-high 144 yards rushing, including a career-best 58-yard run, against the Bears. Williams also ran for his 15th rushing TD, putting him within one of Barry Sanders’ franchise record set in 1991… Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has 190 catches, six short of the mark shared by Justin Jefferson and Michael Thomas for the most over the first two years in the league… Detroit’s rookies have combined for 18½ sacks, just short of the NFL record of 19 set by Tennessee in 1999.

WEEK 18 NFL SCHEDULE

Saturday, January 7:
Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders, 3:30 p.m. CT, ESPN/ABC
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars, 7:15 p.m. CT, ESPN/ABC

Sunday, January 8:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons, 12:00 p.m. CT, FOX
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills, 12:00 p.m. CT, CBS
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears, 12:00 p.m. CT, FOX
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals, 12:00 p.m. CT, CBS
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts, 12:00 p.m. CT, CBS
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins, 12:00 p.m. CT, FOX
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints, 12:00 p.m. CT, FOX
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers, 12:00 p.m. CT, CBS
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles, 3:25 p.m. CT, CBS
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders, 3:25 p.m. CT, FOX
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos, 3:25 p.m. CT, CBS
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, 3:25 p.m. CT, FOX
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers, 3:25 p.m. CT, FOX

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers, 7:20 p.m. CT, NBC