Category: NFL playoffs

Five things to watch as Lions face Packers in key divisional matchup

Detroit injuries could play a factor; plus updates, prediction

It seems like ages ago, back in Week 1 when the Lions got beat soundly by the Packers in Green Bay. Detroit has been waiting months for the rematch and  it’s finally here.

The Packers meet the Lions at 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving at Ford Field.

“Nobody likes losing. We don’t like losing and we don’t like losing to anybody. But you open the year and we go out to their place and they gave it to us pretty good and a division opponent, you don’t want to start that way.’’ Dan Campbell said. 

“So, I think any chance you have to – you get another opportunity. That’s one of the blessings of playing somebody in your division twice, you get another opportunity. And so, we’ve got another opportunity in front of us at our place on a short week and we’re looking forward to it. It’s a good team. And this division’s good, I mean we’ve said that. It’s a good division – it’s been good for a while. So, this is good.”

Detroit is coming off a 34-27 overtime win over the Giants to boost their record to 7-4, third in the NFC North. The Packers (7-3-1) routed the Vikings, 23-6, to remain in second place. While the Chicago Bears (8-3) hold on to first in the division.

To say the Lions-Packers game is huge is an understatement. While there will be five games left, the outcome could determine playoff status.

Both teams have developed and changed since Week 1.

“Well, I think it’s – the easy thing to say is I wish we were cleaner in areas. Yeah, I wish we were cleaner altogether,’’ Campbell said. “It’s like you play good on one side and then the other side you’re sputtering a little bit or then the other side you do some things right and then maybe one of the units isn’t as good. And you just want to feel like all three are good.’’

Five things to watch:

ONE: Look for increased protection for quarterback Jared Goff from offensive line and others. He was sacked three times by the Giants and in the loss to the Eagles, he just did not have much time in the pocket. Green Bay’s Micah Parsons, always a threat, had two sacks against the Vikings and has 10 overall. 

TWO: Run the ball. Let Jahmyr Gibbs work his magic. In the loss to the Packers, the run game could not get in gear with 46 total rushing yards averaging a measly 2.1 yards per carry. In part it happened because of miscommunication issues on the line. Rookie guard Tate Ratledge said that was the worst game he’s ever played at any level. The communication seems to have been fixed, Gibbs averaged 14.6 yards per carry in the win over the Giants. So it’s crucial to get Gibbs and David Montgomery in the flow early and often.

THREE: Convert third downs – keep Jordan Love off the field. Again, in that opening loss, Detroit held a big edge in time of possession but did not execute when they had the ball. In the first 11 games they converted on 36.23 percent of third downs. Just not enough. Last season, they averaged 47.6 percent, fourth in the NFL.

FOUR: Defense must pressure Love who has thrown just three interceptions this season against 15 touchdowns. The LIons defense must also tighten up in third-and-long situations. It was an issue with the Giants. “It’s one thing here, it’s one thing there. Some of it has been penalties, it’s the way we play and we’re not going to go away from the way we play,’’ Campbell said. “That’s the style that we’re going to challenge. Some of it, if we are going to pressure, we don’t always get home. So, I mentioned this the other day, you get strung out. That happened a few times. We had a couple of things, just tackling in space that got us. But when you go across the board and you look at them in totality, it’s really one guy here, one guy there. And so, there again, we’ve just got to play as one. We want them in second-and-long, we want them in third-and-long. We’ve got to be better, and we will be better. We’ll be better.”

FIVE: Special teams must keep up the good work. Kicker Jake Bates and punter Jack Fox were huge in the overtime win against the Giants. Bates was 5 of 5 on field goal attempts, nailing a career-high 59-yarder to tie the game late and send it to overtime. The Giants had lousy field position all game getting nailed back by Fox’s punts.

LIONS INJURIES: OUT — C Graham Glasgow, TE Brock Wright, S Kerby Joseph, EDGE Josh Paschal, WR Kalif Raymond; QUESTIONABLE — CB Terrion Arnold, EDGE Marcus Davenport, T Taylor Decker, OL MIles Frazier, G Tate Ratledge, T Penei Sewell, WR Isacc TeSlaa and RB Sione Vaki.

PACKERS INJURIES: DL Kari Brooks, DL Lukas Van Ness, WR Jayden Reed and WR Savion Wllliams; WR Matthew Golden, CB Nate Hobbs, CB Kelsean Nixon and LB Quay Walker.

PREDICTION: Lions 28, Packers 27

It’s been a bumpier road this season for the Lions: Will it pay off?

November success hinges on matchup against Packers

ALLEN PARK — Will November be a month to remember for the Lions? So far they have two wins and two losses. It all hinges on the Packers game on Thanksgiving.

Detroit is 7-4, Green Bay is 7-3-1. In their first meeting in Week 1, the Packers dominated, 27-13. Both teams are different now. Green Bay also is 2-2 this month.

The Lions needed overtime on Sunday to beat the lowly, two-win Giants. They routed the Commanders and lost to the Vikings. 

Then there is this gem: The Lions are one of two teams in NFL history to produce 24-plus passing TDs, 15-plus rushing TDs and 8-or-fewer turnovers through the first 11 games of any season. The other team was the 2012 Patriots.

After 11 games, the Lions are one big puzzle and so different from last year when they finished 15-2.

On Monday, coach Dan Campbell said the obvious – of course he would like to see his team play cleaner in some areas and he’d like all three units to complement each other game-in and game-out.

“Also, maybe this is this year, you know, as we continue to clean things up just find a way to win, just find a way to win,’’ Campbell said on Monday.  “Kind of like what happened yesterday. Along the way let’s get our confidence up, let’s get a little momentum, let’s feed off each other. Say what you want, yesterday, at the end of the day, the best thing that happened was we did complement each other.’’

In the fourth quarter when they needed a big stop in the Red Zone, the defense came up big. When Jake Bates was asked to kick a 59-yard field goal – boom, he did so. Jahmyr Gibbs put the offense on his back scoring on the first snap of OT. Then Aidan Hutchinson came up with the only sack of Giants QB Jameis Winston all day. It may not have been pretty throughout – the Lions never led until overtime – but they dug deep to win.

“At the end of the day, you take it the way it comes and you just try to improve along the way. You just never know, 15-2 felt great last year until you get booted right out,’’ Campbell said, referring to the first-round playoff loss to the Commanders. 

“It’s like, hey man, maybe we have to go the hard road and just win, let’s just win and find a way every week and grind it out.’’

Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson echoes Campbell heading into Thanksgiving.

“We found ourselves with a couple losses early and I think right now we are just heads down, grinding these wins out and really just focused on the next game — that’s the Packers,’’ Hutchinson said. “Focus on being 1-0 this week, if we adopt that mentality it will serve us in the end. And I think going to the playoffs when we are hitting our stride, that’s the most ideal time to do that.’’

UP NEXT: Packers (7-3-1) at Lions (7-4), 1 p.m. Thursday at Ford Field. FOX will carry the game with Tom Brady and Kevin Burkhardt in the booth.

In big moments, the Lions stepped up in the 34-27 OT win over the Giants

Five reasons Detroit was able to fight back and win

DETROIT — Jahmyr Gibbs’ 69-yard touchdown run on the Lions’ first snap of overtime gave Detroit its first lead of the game. Aidan Hutchinson’s sack of Giants quarterback Jameis Winston on fourth-and-5 in the next series, sealed the 34-27 win for Detroit.

It was the first lead of Sunday’s game for the Lions.

“They played hard — they  threw the kitchen sink at us, we knew they would, that’s what the tape said,’’ coach Dan Campbell said of the 2-10 Giants who have not won a road game this season.

“I’m proud of the guys. We hung in there, we fought, we felt our next series would be the one we were going to get the upper hand and we did,’’ Campbell said. “It’s not easy to hang in a game like that where there are things that aren’t going perfect. But at the end of the day when we needed it most, guys showed up. It wasn’t perfect, there are things to clean up, certainly it came down to the wire, we had to win in overtime, I’ll take that win, it’s a good win.’’

It’s a short week with the Packers coming to Ford Field on Thanksgiving.

Gibbs’ overtime touchdown was one of three he had — two rushing, one receiving. Overall the running back amassed 264 yards (219 rushing).

“Gibbs, he’s electric. When he found  a crease he was going to the house. This was not about first downs or picking up a few yards. This guy was going to the house, he’s got the juice to make it happen,’’ Campbell said. “He’s a difference maker. He bailed us out today in a big way.’’

It was another bounce-back win for the Lions who haven’t lost two straight since October 2022. They’re now 7-4 and still in the thick of a division race.

Campbell said he never knows what this type of win can do.

“Sometimes it’s just important to remind yourself what we’re all capable of, even when the chips are down, and things get hard, you don’t ever forget how to dig in one more time, find how to lean on each other and do your job,’’ Campbell said. “Anytime you can get a win like this, that’s a good thing. That very easily a number of times could have gone the other way and we all know it, but it didn’t. We made the plays we needed to make.’’

Five of the reasons the Lions won:

ONE: Again, Jahmyr Gibbs. He averaged 14.6 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns. Electric is the perfect adjective. “That dude is as huge as they come in the league, he’s making his claim across the league as one of the best players regardless of position,’’ quarterback Jared Goff said. “We’re lucky to have him, he’s so electric and to do that, to supplement some of the struggles we were having is awesome.’’ 

TWO: The offensive line also came up big – they were a key reason Gibbs was able to find creases and break free. Four of them are struggling with injuries, but it didn’t seem to affect them. “Those guys are a rare breed. They’re battling right now through some stuff. They don’t want your sympathy; they’re just going to put their head down and work,’’ Goff said. “I’m proud of those guys, thankful for them laying it on the line for me and the backs every week.’’

THREE: Hutchinson’s sack to win in overtime was huge and it was the first sack of Jameis Winston in the game. Hutchinson also had six quarterback hits and six tackles. The Giants finished with 517 yards of offense, so it’s not like the Lions shut them down, they just came up big when it mattered. Late in the fourth quarter the Giants were stopped on fourth-and-6 at Detroit’s 6-yard line. On the next drive the Lions’ Jake Bates kicked a 59-yard field goal to tie the game and send it to OT. “That’s what gave us a chance. … That changed the whole game with that stop,’’ Campbell said. “Defense once again stepped up for us.’’

FOUR:  Jared Goff said there are plays he’d like back but there were some huge moments for the quarterback. After the Red Zone stop in the fourth quarter, Goff got the ball at Detroit’s 6-yard line with just 2:54 on the clock and down 27-24. Goff ran the 2-minute offense effectively so Bates could tie the game. The quarterback finished 28 of 42 for 279 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and he was sacked three times. Campbell credited him with coming up big when they needed it.

FIVE: Special teams also came up big. Bates’ 59-yard field goal to send the game to overtime was the standout. “That was a big kick, that was big time,’’ Campbell said. “He’s clutch when we need him most. He goes out there and makes the kick for us. That’s not an easy kick.’’ Punter Jack Fox pinned the Giants inside their 18-yard line 7 times and of that four were inside the 10. On the opening kickoff, linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, playing in his first game in nearly a year, tackled the returner. 

UP NEXT: Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) face the Lions (7-4) at 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving at Ford Field. The Packers beat the Vikings, 23-6, on Sunday.