For our final preview of the Green Bay Packers’ 2025 regular season opener, Ryan Mathews of Pride of Detroit stopped by to answer a few questions about the Lions. Hope you enjoy it.
#1: How has the interior offensive line looked this summer? I know Graham Glasgow had some bad metrics last year, Christian Mahogany hardly played as a sixth-round rookie in 2024 and Tate Ratledge is a rookie this year.
Early on in the summer, for a few practices, the Lions rolled out rookie Tate Ratledge at center and
put veteran Graham Glasgow back at right guard–where his metrics were outstanding in 2023 (finished with the eighth-best offense grade among guards, the fifth-best run-blocking grade per PFF). The Lions scrapped that quickly and moved Glasgow to center and Ratledge to right guard. That’s the same plan the Lions went with Frank Ragnow in his first season, coincidentally with Glasgow manning the center spot. The long-term plan seems to suggest that Detroit sees Ratledge playing center, but in the here and now, this is the best configuration for the middle of the offensive line. As for Christian Mahogany, he was very impressive in his two starts last season–one of them being the Lions playoff game for the injured Kevin Zeitler. Dan Campbell spoke to the fact that this group has some ways to grow, which doesn’t sound like a glowing endorsement on the surface, but he was quick to point out that the room to grow is, in fact, encouraging considering how green both Mahogany and Ratledge are.
#2: What’s the confidence level at defensive end? Starters Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport are coming off of injuries and there seems to be little depth behind them going into Week 1.
It’s been 11 months since people have seen Aidan Hutchinson play football, and from NFL media and fans alike, it’s pretty clear that their attention spans can be measured in nanoseconds. Hutchinson was on pace for Defensive Player of the Year consideration. He had 45 pressures in four and a half games. Rashan Gary finished the season, in 17 game appearances, with 47. Hutchinson was causing so many problems on the first day of joint practices with the Miami Dolphins that Tua Tagovailoa was routinely getting “sacked” and led to him voicing his “frustration” with his team’s lack of execution from the jump.
#3: Where do you think the Lions have the biggest advantage in this game?
Based on what you shared with me and my conversation with Good Guy Dusty Evely, it feels like the Lions still have the edge in defending the run against the Packers. The middle of Detroit’s defense is missing Alim McNeill, but a healthy DJ Reader, rookie first-round pick Tyleik Williams, and newcomer Roy Lopez from the Arizona Cardinals are a formidable trio in the middle. Meanwhile, the Lions linebackers, between Jack Campbell coming into his own as the team’s full-time MIKE, a motivated Alex Anzalone in a contract-season, and the return of Derrick Barnes, are one of the more underrated groups in the NFL. If there’s something I know about a Dan Campbell football team, they’re going to devote a lot of resources to stopping the run–sometimes to a fault–but it will put a lot of pressure on the Packers to make good on third-and-long situations.
#4: Where do you think Detroit falls short in this matchup?
It’s all comes back to the stress test for the middle of this offensive line. Losing Frank Ragnow was huge, he was such a cerebral player that a lot of those responsibilities fall to the feet of Glasgow–who is no slouch to being a student of the game himself–and Jared Goff. Since Goff has arrived in Detroit, one thing is very clear and obvious: pressure up the middle spells disaster for Goff. He isn’t good at moving off his spot and making level-headed plays. Against the blitz, Goff is able to diagnose and get the ball out quick, and the Lions skill players are filled with guys who can make plays once the ball is in their hands. Against interior pressure, Goff is dead to rights. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley would be wise to use Micah Parsons in that A gap on a few occasions in this one.
#5: Be honest, how mad are you that we landed Micah Parsons?
Since you’re technically an owner, I guess I can’t be annoyed with you using that pronoun, but Parsons is obviously a huge get for Green Bay. A lot of Lions fans are tying themselves into knots trying to diminish how important of a player he is, and it’s annoying. He’s arguably a top-three defensive player in football, and he’s 26 years old. He’s going to single-handedly hide any of the warts for Green Bay’s defense. But, can’t be too upset, the Lions drafted their game-wrecking pass rusher in 2022 and didn’t have to spend two first-round draft picks to do it after drafting Lukas Van Ness.
