This one warrants a Game Week Thread. packers at Lions Thursday 12/5/25

[whatever_gong82]

No way Det is 6th best in NFC. They outplayed tampa in every non RZ statistic. Just didn't come away with the points.

It was also the 2nd game of the year.

Early season games tend to be weird, regardless of how talented both teams are.

The New England Patriots once lost their opening game, 31-0 to the Bills in '03, but they then shut them out in their rematch later that season, and ended up winning the Super Bowl at the end of that season.

[Iron Lion]

Baker ruined the playoffs. Dan didnt want the Pack to go.

This checks out.

[Dan V]

Love reminds me of a young Stafford- undisciplined slinging bombs down the field.
Lets just hope Arnold or Vilfor doesn’t get burnt a few times.
Gotta get a little pressure on him. Then Joseph can intercept his moon balls supporting those guys
. Need Reader or Muhammad ot one of the new guys to supply a little pressure.
Still I think the Lions offense needs to put up 35 to win this game.

[ghandi]

The Packers 3 losses have come against the Lions, Vikings, and Eagles.....All their wins have come against basically .500 teams.....I dont know if thats enough info to say they can beat the teams they should but arent quite good enough to beat the really good teams? Even so, the Lions have to treat this like a playoff game....A loss here could be harmful down the road...

[whatever_gong82]

Lions' success vs. Packers hinges on keeping ball out of this man's hands

Paywall article.

Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News



Allen Park — In the first meeting between the Lions and Packers, a backbreaking pick-six from Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love was a gift to Detroit in more ways than one.

Obviously, scoring a touchdown right before halftime in a pivotal rivalry game is always going to be big.


But aside from that, it completely took away the ability of the Packers' offense to dictate the rules of engagement in the final two quarters. After running back Josh Jacobs broke off 10 rushes for 89 yards in the first half, Green Bay's 21-point, third-quarter deficit forced the Packers into a one-dimensional game. Jacobs had just four carries the rest of the way, totaling six yards.


While the Lions are certainly hoping to grab a three-score lead against the Packers on Thursday Night Football, being able to completely take control of the game like in Week 9 is probably not a reasonable strategy. So the task, then, becomes limiting Jacobs and the Packers' run game a lot earlier in the contest.

Like most quality teams, the Packers use the run to open up the downfield passing game, which — when they're firing on all cylinders — makes them a handful.



"I think what they’ve done a really good job of is saying, ‘Listen, (Packers RB Josh) Jacobs, you’re going to run this team and everything’s going to go through you, which Love, that’s going to make you even more effective because now you have to try to stop this run,’" Glenn said. "Because he’s doing a really good job of running the ball. Now, he’s going to get more of his one-on-one matchups and those throws might be somewhat easier for him."

Glenn said Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has "done a really good job of riding Jacobs, and then he’s allowing Love to do the things that he’s always been good at doing, is getting the ball downfield to these elite receivers that he has.”



Stopping Jacobs will be no easy task, especially if the Lions are as banged up as they look to begin the week. Defensive linemen Josh Paschal (knee), Levi Onwuzurike (hamstring) and DJ Reader (shoulder) all missed practice Monday.

Paschal and Reader, specifically, have been two of the Lions' best run defenders on the line of scrimmage this season. In two games without Paschal earlier this year — one of them being against Green Bay — Detroit gave up an average yards per carry of 4.9 (vs. Tennessee, 158 rush yards allowed) and 6.0 (vs. Green Bay, 138 allowed).



Across the league, Jacobs ranks third in rushing yards (987), fifth in runs of 10-plus yards (26) and seventh in yards after contact per carry (3.6).

"Big, powerful, hard to tackle, run after contact," Glenn said, listing Jacobs' best qualities. "When you have a running back of that nature, it changes the mindset of the O-line. So now the O-line knows that we have this physical runner, so now that turns into a more physical offensive line and all they have to do is ... give him a little crease, and they know he's going to make three yards out of nothing.



"Most of these 3-yard (runs) end up getting to be six and seven yards and he's going to break a tackle. So, I think he fits that scheme perfectly and he's doing a hell of a job as far as complementing the whole offense, which allows the vertical passing game to show up."

Hours after the Lions defeated the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving, 23-20, Jacobs had an uncharacteristically slow day rushing the football in a 30-17 pasting of the Miami Dolphins. Jacobs finished with 19 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown. But he was a force catching the ball out of the backfield, totaling four catches for 74 yards with a long of 49.



According to LaFleur, it's not just the run game that opens up the downfield passing game. It's also the underneath passing game, which Jacobs and tight end Tucker Kraft are heavily involved in.

"It opens up a lot of stuff. Those are leaky yards and nobody wants to give up those, but both those guys (Kraft and Jacobs) are so physical and they're tough to bring down, and when you do bring them down you feel them," LaFleur said.



For years, a common sentiment around the NFL was that running backs were borderline interchangeable — that spending low on your running back room was a good way to squeeze value out of your roster, because it was more about the pieces in front of them. Players like Jacobs, Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles), Derrick Henry (Baltimore Ravens) and the Lions' tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are changing that sentiment.

"You have all these guys that's actually changing the face of what the teams are doing now," Glenn said.

That'll certainly be on display in Lions-Packers Thursday night.


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/12/03/jameson-williams-punt-returns-detroit-lions-kalif-raymond/76714901007/

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/12/03/jamal-adams-signs-detroit-lions-first-class-organization/76708127007/

[ghandi]

Really I dont know if the Lions can take the risk having JaMo or St Brown returning punts....If a guy like Alexander gets hurt, then so be it, but they cant afford to lose either of their top 2 WRs.....I'll be interested to see how Jamal Adams fits...They are going to try him as a LB, ehich as far as i remember, he has never played.

[froot loops]

He would play linebacker in the same way Iffy played it last year.

[ghandi]

He would play linebacker in the same way Iffy played it last year.

Ah ok they could use him that way then...that makes more sense

[El Axe]

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Campbell says that Decker is probably out. Davis is probably playing. Reader is a maybe

[whatever_gong82]

We need Decker ready for the Playoffs.

We also need to either draft his replacement, or move Sewell over to Taylor's side and draft the replacement for Sewell's side.

[froot loops]

Keep Sewell where he is at. Moving him to left tackle neutralizes his greatest asset and that's run blocking.

[whatever_gong82]

Keep Sewell where he is at. Moving him to left tackle neutralizes his greatest asset and that's run blocking.

I'm just concerned about Decker. We will need to replace him soon, and it might be as early as next season.

When he's out, the offense struggled early and often.

The team will eventually have to make a decision on whether to get a replacement or not.

[froot loops]

I'm sure they will be trying to draft his replacement, but moving Sewell to LT creates a different hole. And you will notice the blind side thing is overrated. A lot of pass rushers (including Hutch) line up over the RT. Sewell is a great pass protector but even a better run blocker. He's where he needs to be.

Skipper played well last week. The offense didn't struggle because he was struggling. They just had some misfires and the Bear defense is pretty good defensively in the red zone

Decker will be playing next year. They are developing a couple tackles as it is and will probably draft another one