Not everything needs a sequel, but the Detroit Lions are excited for their second battle with the Green Bay Packers. After getting boat raced in the season opener, losing 27-13, now the Packers come to
Ford Field on Thanksgiving, where the Lions hope to serve up a victory for the fans on the holiday afternoon.
After starting 2-0 and being perceived as Super Bowl favorites, the Packers have taken a step back from being the top team in the league. They’re still one of the top teams in the NFC, but with some questionable performances, they aren’t as strong as they first appeared. Both of these teams need to win, as they’re behind the Chicago Bears in the NFC North race, and the winner can get a stronger grasp at trying to regain the lead.
Let’s take a look at the Packers in my Week 13 scouting report.
Green Bay Packers
2025 season thus far (7-3-1)
Week 1: Defeated the Detroit Lions 27-13
Week 2: Defeated the Washington Commanders 27-18
Week 3: Lost to the Cleveland Browns 13-10
Week 4: Tied the Dallas Cowboys 40-40
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: Defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 27-18
Week 7: Defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23
Week 8: Defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-25
Week 9: Lost to the Carolina Panthers 16-13
Week 10: Lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 10-7
Week 11: Defeated the New York Giants 27-20
Week 12: Defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-6
Stats:
- 13th in points scored, 5th in points allowed
- 6th in DVOA
- 8th in offensive DVOA (4th in pass DVOA, 13th in run DVOA)
- 9th in defensive DVOA (9th pass DVOA, 17th in run DVOA)
- 23rd in special teams DVOA
They say Week 1 is a mirage and that statement has been wishy washy this season. There have been some surprises since what’s happened in Week 1, but the league is somewhat sticking to what went down back in September. A big talking point after Week 1 was how the Packers looked like a Super Bowl contender with how they dismantled the Lions. Since then, they’ve been brought down to earth a bit and while still in the playoff discussion, aren’t as dominant as people thought.
Quarterback Jordan Love has thrown for 2,560 yards (11th) and has 15 passing touchdowns (16th) but he’s not been able to come up big this season when the team’s needed him the most. After starting out strong, his last three games have been forgettable, averaging a 58.8 completion percentage, 163 yards, and not even a touchdown per game at 0.6. He’s not turning the football over, with only three interceptions on the year, and maybe his newest injury his hindering him, but he certainly isn’t winning this team any football games lately.
The running game the past three weeks has had to do some of the heavy lifting, as running back Josh Jacobs found the end zone against the Eagles with rushing 74 yards, but only got 40 against the Giants and missed last week due to his injury. Backup Emanuel Wilson had his best game in the start against the Vikings last week. Rushing for 107 yards and two touchdowns, he was the offense for the team.
The Packers receiving core still doesn’t have a standout WR1, despite drafting one in the first round this year in Matthew Golden. Their top receiver currently is Romeo Doubs, who has 41 catches for 522 yards and six touchdowns, but their leader in touchdowns was tight end Tucker Kraft who is done for the season with a torn ACL. Christian Watson has been a big boost for the receiver room, as his return from injury has shoved him back into the spotlight with 17 catches for 283 yards and two touchdowns in five games.
When it comes to the defense, though, that is the best side of the football for this team. Defensive end Micah Parsons continues to be one of the best pass rushers in the NFL with 10 sacks, fifth-best in the league. With Parsons demanding more attention, that means EDGE Rashan Gary can have more chances at the quarterback and he’s making the most of it with 7.5 sacks this season. The secondary has been playing great, too, leading the NFL in fewest yards per attempt at 5.9, allowing 2176 yards (fifth-best), and just 13 touchdowns (tied for seventh-best). Safeties Evan Williams and Xavier McKinney have been doing their best to create turnovers with five interceptions between them and a fumble recovery.
Green Bay hasn’t had a difficult schedule so far, and the only other win they have over a team with a record over .500 is against the Steelers. They’ve lost to the Browns and Panthers, and tied with the Cowboys—not the best kinds of losses and ties you want on your record. Their schedule sees a tick up in difficultly starting this week as the Lions will want revenge from their first meeting. They still have to play the Bears twice, along with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens. If the Packers want to make the playoffs, they’ll need to win at least three to four of their remaining six.
Injury notes
Key players ruled out: OL Elgton Jenkins (IR), TE Tucker Kraft (IR)
Key players to monitor: QB Jordan Love (shoulder), RB Josh Jacobs (knee), WR Jayden Reed (IR), CB Keisean Nixon (neck), DL Karl Brooks (ankle), WR Matthew Golden (shoulder/wrist), CB Nate Hobbs (knee), LB Quay Walker (neck), EDGE Lukas Van Ness (foot), WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf), WR Savion Williams (foot), OT Zach Tom (back), LB Edgerrin Cooper (foot/shoulder), S Javon Bullard (ankle)
Compared to the season-opener, Green Bay is dealing with more injuries this time around. Starting with the offense, offensive linemen Jenkins is on IR and will miss this week, though he should return this season. Love is dealing with a shoulder injury on his non-throwing arm, so he should play and didn’t appear to have any setbacks against the Vikings. Jacobs will be the biggest name to watch as he was a game-time decision in Week 12. On a short week, he could return to the field. Starting right tackle Zach Tom was limited in practice with a back injury; he will probably play, in my opinion.
The wide receiver room has been dealing with injuries left and right. First, Reed started practicing last Friday in his return from the IR, but I think, on a short week again, he won’t have enough time to return this week. Golden and Wicks were limited in practice, while Williams missed it with his foot injury. The only fully healthy wide receiver on the roster is Watson, as he was a full participant in practice.
Looking at the defense, the secondary is dealing with some injuries, as Hobbs and Bullard were limited in practice, while Nixon missed it with a neck injury. The front four has some bodies limited, as Walker and Cooper were limited in practice, while Brooks and Van Ness missed. The defense is the backbone of this team, so if they are down starters in almost every position, things could be rough for them on Thursday.
Biggest strength: Pass rush
When it comes to the Packers defense, they’re playing good football and it was tough to determine which was the better unit between the pass rush and the secondary. I ended up leaning towards the rush. The Packers are only tied for 10th in the NFL with 29 sacks, but it’s more than just the sacks for them. They have the fourth lowest blitz percentage at 17.7 percent and only two teams with a lower percentage are doing better than them on the rush (Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams). According to PFF, they have the fifth-highest pass rush grade at 81.3.
The biggest draw for them is obviously Parsons, who has the highest pass rush grade per PFF at 92.9 and has the third most pressures in the NFL at 60. Gary is loving the attention Parsons is drawing as he is getting more one-on-one opportunities and if he’s not hitting home, he’s getting pressure on the quarterback. The Packers have the eighth most pressures at 92, they’re 10th in pressure rate at 22.3 percent, and seventh in quarterback knockdowns at 35.
When this pass rush gets home, they win games. Their worst performances came against the Eagles, Panthers, and Cowboys where they had two sacks combined. If an offense can scheme around their pass rush or have its offensive line hold up, it can be the reason Green Bay loses.
Biggest weakness: Running game
Despite the Packers having a solid starting back in Jacobs, the running game isn’t as strong and effective as the team is used to. Not only is Jacobs currently dealing with an injury, but when healthy, he’s not having the impact he’s used to having with the football. He has 11 touchdowns, second-most in the NFL, but it’s mostly off short-yardage attempts. While he’s scoring frequently, when you average 3.8 yards a carry, it’s tough to give your offense life.
Explosive plays can help keep your offense moving, and when your offense has to rely on the passing game to move the sticks or get a critical first down, it makes you more predictable. Without looking, how many rushes do you think the Packers have over 20 yards?
The answer is one, and it wasn’t even by Jacobs.
The longest run was by Love, who ran for 25 yards. Jacobs’ longest rush is 18 yards, and Wilson’s longest was for 12 yards. The Packers are used to having some sort of balance on the ground to give its quarterback some breathing room, but this year it’s not happening. The offensive line is ranked 21st in run blocking per PFF at 59.1 so while they can get some of the blame, you can’t ignore who’s carrying the football either.
Key matchup: Lions’ offensive line vs. Packers’ defensive line
Last time these two teams battled, the biggest talking point for the Lions was how poorly their offensive line played. With two young guards, it was a big learning moment for not just the players but the Detroit coaches, too. This time, the line has more experience, and left guard Christian Mahogany is out with an injury, replaced by Kayode Awosika.
Communication was a big talking point about the failures for Detroit in Week 1, and we saw the Lions put up 50 points the following week at home against the Bears. Now at home, and with more reps together, can the Lions do a better job at stopping the Packers defensive line led by Parsons? All of the starters outside of Awosika are currently battling an injury, so that increases the difficulty in their task. If the Lions can keep Goff clean and quickly strike against the Packers defense, they might feast Thanksgiving afternoon.
Vegas line for Sunday: Lions favored by 3
