DETROIT (AP) — On paper, the Detroit Lions are strong favorites to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in a showdown of 8-6 teams with playoff hopes.
History points to a different outcome.
Detroit is 0-5-1 against the Steelers in the 21st century, and Pittsburgh even won a Super Bowl at Ford Field against the Seattle Seahawks in 2006. Then there's Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a thorn in the Lions' side for years with the Green Bay Packers.
The Lions were seven-point favorites at the BetMGM online sportsbook as of Thursday and desperate for a win while chasing the Packers (9-4-1) and the Chicago Bears (10-4) in the NFC North. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, leads the AFC North by a game over the Baltimore Ravens, who have a tough showdown Sunday night against AFC East-leading New England.
The 42-year-old Rodgers is 8-5 at Ford Field, including a famous 27-23 win with the Packers on Dec. 3, 2015. The Lions led 23-14 late in the fourth quarter, but Rodgers scored on a 17-yard run then finished the game with a 61-yard Hail Mary TD to Richard Rodgers.
Rodgers, though, doesn’t have much success against the Dan Campbell-era Lions. In 2022, Detroit swept the Packers, including a season-ending victory at Lambeau Field that knocked Green Bay out of the playoffs.
“I was there when their run started going in 2022,” Rodgers said this week. “We could have buried them, and they beat us and finished the season hot. The next year, they were in the NFC championship game.”
Rodgers hasn't played the Lions at Ford Field since it became one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL.
“Back in the day, when we played there, it wasn’t a big factor,” he said. “Dan has obviously created a good culture there, and the fans are believing and showing up early and really loud. It’s a really good atmosphere to play in.”
The Lions were one game short of the Super Bowl in 2023 and wasted a 15-2 regular season in 2024 by crumbling in the playoffs. Now, Detroit is at risk of missing the postseason altogether. They trail the Packers and San Francisco 49ers (10-4) for the final NFC wild cards.
“You would much rather have the division locked up and be looking forward to other things,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “But this gives us an opportunity to find out who we are and what kind of character we have. That’s what is going to show through in moments of adversity like this one.”
Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have been the NFL’s best running back tandem for several years.
The Steelers have formed a notable one-two punch of their own in Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell.
They have combined for 1,760 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns this season, sometimes trading off who is featured during a given week without signs of egos getting in the way.
Last Monday night against Miami, Gainwell carried the bulk of the load while Warren battled the flu, finishing with 126 total yards.
Detroit has played 59 straight games without dropping two in a row, the NFL's longest streak since San Francisco played 60 consecutive games without back-to-back losses in the regular season from late in the 1995 season to early in the 1999 season.
The Lions haven’t had a losing streak since they lost five straight games in 2022. That dropped them to 1-6 before they beat Rodgers and the Packers 15-9. They finished the season with eight wins in 10 games, including a 20-16 victory at Lambeau Field to eliminate the Packers.
Of course, the Lions haven’t won two in a row since a four-game winning streak got them to 4-1 in October. In their last 10 games, they have gone 5-5 with alternating wins and losses.
“Right now, we have to win one to be able to win two,” Campbell said. “All we can focus on is winning Sunday. You have to win the first one to start a streak.”
Left tackle has been a problematic spot for Pittsburgh, which lost starter Broderick Jones to injured reserve with a neck injury last month. Veteran Andrus Peat filled in and promptly went into the concussion protocol in a victory over Baltimore.
Enter Dylan Cook, who bounced between the practice squad and the active roster in Tampa Bay and then Pittsburgh for most of the last four years. He held his own during his first career start on Monday night against Miami.
Cook may start again in Detroit, where he could have to tangle with Lions star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, whom Rodgers called a “game-wrecker.”
Rodgers is coming off a pristine, two-touchdown performance against Miami. If the Lions are going to stop him, they will need help from a motley crew of defensive backs. Two of Detroit’s starters — S Brian Branch (Achilles) and CB Terrion Arnold (cornerback) — are on injured reserve and S Kerby Joseph (knee) is still working his way back. One of their top reserves, CB Amik Robertson, is dealing with a hand injury.
“There are some schematic things we will do a bit differently that we think will help,” Campbell said. “It isn’t going to be easy, but it should help significantly.”
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