PACKERVILLE, U.S.A.: December 2024

NFC-leading Lions host Packers, aiming for franchise-record, 11-game winning streak, playoff spot

Associated Press

Green Bay (9-3) at Detroit (11-1)

Day / Time / TV: Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EST, Amazon Prime Video.

Series record: Packers 106-77-7.

Last meeting: Lions beat Packers 24-14 in Green Bay on Nov. 3.

Last week: Packers beat Dolphins 30-17; Lions beat Bears 23-20.

Packers offense: overall (3), rush (5), pass (8), scoring (8).

Packers defense: overall (12), rush (8), pass (19), scoring (T-9).

Lions offense: overall (2), rush (4), pass (5), scoring (1).

Lions defense: overall (10), rush (5), pass (25), scoring (3).

Turnover differential: Packers plus-9; Lions plus-8.

The Green Bay Packers believe they’ve come a long way since they last faced the Detroit Lions nearly a month ago. They get a chance to prove it Thursday when they visit Detroit to close a stretch of three games in 12 days. The Packers need to win that game — and avenge a 24-14 loss from Nov. 3 — to have any realistic chance of contending for the NFC North title Although the Packers (9-3) have put themselves in good shape to earn a playoff berth by winning three straight and seven of their last eight, they remain two games behind the Lions (11-1) and a half-game behind Minnesota (9-2) in the NFC North. They also already lost at home to both teams.

That makes Thursday’s game critical. “With how much the guys are winning on the other side, we’ve got to do everything right from here on out,” running back Josh Jacobs said after the Packers’ 30-17 Thursday night victory over the Miami Dolphins. “That’s what we’re trying to do.” Packers coach Matt LaFleur acknowledges the challenge the Packers will face in Detroit. He calls the Lions “the premier team in the National Football League.” But he also believes the Packers are playing their best football of the season. They built a 27-3 lead against Miami four nights after rolling to a 38-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Those fast starts represent a sharp contrast from their loss to the Lions at Lambeau Field. The Packers allowed the Lions to grab a 24-3 lead in that one. “The one thing that stands out to me is just we’re being physical in every phase of football, and I think that’s going to do us well,” LaFleur said Thursday night. “I think that gives you a chance each and every week, just, and it shows up all over the tape, whether it’s our linebackers hitting people, whether it’s up front, our receivers blocking.” Packers center Josh Myers agrees that the Packers are playing better than they were for that last Lions game. “I feel like we just found our rhythm,” Myers said. “We’ve settled in. That whole time you kept hearing complementary football being thrown around everywhere, I feel like we’re doing that now.”

What’s working

The Packers avoided committing a turnover for a second straight game… Green Bay sacked Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa five times and held Miami’s offense to three points over the first 2½ quarters… After limiting San Francisco to 44 yards on 16 carries, the Packers held Miami to 39 yards on 14 rushes… The Packers built a big lead early for a second straight game, as they got three touchdowns and two field goals out of their first seven possessions… The offensive line didn’t allow a sack.

What needs work

When Tagovailoa had enough time to throw, the Packers had trouble containing him. Tagovailoa threw for 365 yards, the highest total Green Bay had allowed this season… The Packers had a handful of pre-snap offside or false-start penalties in the first half.

Stock up

QB Jordan Love has thrown four touchdown passes without an interception over his last two games… WR Jayden Reed scored two touchdowns to increase his season total to seven (six receiving, one rushing)… TE Tucker Kraft matched a career high with six catches and had a team-high 74 yards receiving… CB Robert Rochell earned a game ball after recovering a muffed punt to set up the Packers’ first touchdown… DL Lukas Van Ness has recorded a sack in two straight games… K Brandon McManus was 3 of 3 on field-goal attempts and is 9 of 10 since joining the Packers.

Stock down

LG Elgton Jenkins had an unnecessary roughness penalty that turned a potential fourth-and-goal from the 1 into fourth-and-goal from the 15. The Packers settled for a 33-yard field goal from McManus on that drive.

Key numbers

65 — LaFleur improved his regular-season record to 65-30 and moved into sole possession of second place for regular-season wins by a coach in his first six seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. LaFleur had been tied for second place with Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid. The record is owned by George Seifert, who had a 75-21 regular-season record from 1989-94 in his first six years as San Francisco’s coach.

Next steps

The Packers will try to win in Detroit for a second straight season. The road team has won the last four games in this series.

Packers player to watch

WR Jayden Reed. The former Michigan State star caught five passes for 113 yards last month against the Lions. He had a career-high two TD catches against Miami. Reed leads the team with 44 catches and 693 yards receiving. Reed has seven TDs, including one rushing.

Lions player to watch

S Brian Branch. He was ejected in the second quarter of the game in Green Bay after landing a helmet-to-helmet hit on Packers receiver Bo Melton. He also was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for extending both of his middle fingers toward the Lambeau Field crowd as he walked off the field.

Key matchup

Detroit’s running game against Green Bay’s defense. Jahmyr Gibbs has 973 yards rushing and David Montgomery has 720 yards on the ground for the Lions and both have scored 11 combined touchdowns. The Packers allowed fewer than 45 yards rushing in each of their past two games, pulling that feat off in consecutive weeks for the first time since 1995 and second time since 1950.

Key injuries

Packers CB Jaire Alexander (knee) and LB Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) have missed two straight games… WR Romeo Doubs (concussion) sat out last week… CB Corey Ballentine hurt his knee on the opening kickoff last week and didn’t practice Tuesday… Detroit is prepared to play without OT Taylor Decker (shoulder), DL Josh Paschal (knee) and DL Levi (hamstring)… DT DJ Reader (shoulder) missed multiple practices this week… The Lions are hoping CBs Carlton Davis (knee) and Emmanuel Moseley (hamstring) will be cleared after being inactive last week… LB Malcolm Rodriguez had a season-ending knee injury against Chicago.

Series notes

Detroit has won five of the past six meetings, its best stretch of success in the series since the early 1980s… Last month in Green Bay, the Lions won after Kerby Joseph scored on a 27-yard interception return and they converted two fourth downs into touchdowns. The Packers outgained Detroit 411-261 in the setback. ... Green Bay is 2-0 against the Lions in the playoffs, beating them at home and away by four points each time in the 1993 and ’94 seasons.

Stats and stuff

Detroit, Green Bay and Minnesota (10-2) are the first three three teams in a division to enter Week 14 with at least nine wins since the AFC East in 1985… The Packers have won their past five division road games, including a 29-22 win at Detroit last year on Thanksgiving when Jordan Love threw a 53-yard TD to Christian Watson on the game’s first play and finished with three TDs… Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur, who is from Michigan, has won 65 regular-season games and George Siefert (75) is the only coach in league history to win more in his first six years… The Packers are appearing in prime time for the second of four straight games… Green Bay and Detroit will each play their third game in 12 days… Love had a career-high passer rating last week and has thrown a combined 4 TDs without an INT over the past two games… The Packers have scored 90 points off turnovers this season and Buffalo (91 points) is the only team with more points from a defense… DE Rashan Gary, drafted No. 12 overall from Michigan in 2019, has a team-high 4½ sacks. Gary matched a career high with three sacks last year at Detroit, where he also forced two fumbles and recovered one… Packers S Xavier McKinney and Lions S Kerby Joseph are tied for the NFL lead in seven INTs — two more than any other player… Packers RB Josh Jacobs has 987 yards rushing to rank third in the league and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs (973) is fourth entering Week 14… The Lions clinch a playoff bid with a win or tie. They can also qualify for a spot with a setback in scenarios that include Atlanta or Tampa Bay losing… Detroit has won 10 straight, matching the franchise record with the 1934 team, and has won 11 of its first 12 games for the first time… The Lions led the league in Pro Bowl votes after the opening week with Gibbs ranking fifth among all players in voting… Detroit is 8-2 in prime time with coach Dan Campbell… Jared Goff is one of six NFL players with at least 100 TD passes with two teams, joining Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Kurt Warner and Fran Tarkenton… WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has 391 catches, putting him in a position to become the third player in league history to have 400 receptions in the first four years of a career, joining Michael Thomas (470 receptions) and Jarvis Landry (400)… S Kerby Joseph has four INTs in four games against Green Bay.