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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

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.

Lions Dan Campbell remains optimistic about offense after coming up short against Eagles

After a rough outing in the 16-9 loss at the Eagles, Lions coach Dan Campbell still believes in his offense and, in particular, the offensive line.

“I believe in these guys, I do. I just think the more they play together and they mesh and we do things we do well,’’ Campbell said on Monday.

The Lions averaged just 3.5 yards per carry in the run game. “That’s not enough for us, that’s everybody that’s all inclusive,’’ Campbell said.

The Lions were 3-of-13 on third downs and 0-of 5 on fourth downs – not exactly a winning formula. Although due to the weather conditions, a field goal was not viable on three of those. And on one of them they ran a fake punt and Grant Stuard failed to advance.

“It was really a combination of missed throws, we had some pressures, tipped balls, a couple of drops and there was a couple of bad calls by me,’’ said Campbell who made the offensive playcalls for the second straight game. “There’s some calls I want back, bad.’’

The Lions dropped to 6-4 and third place in the NFC North, but there are seven games left and neither the Packers, Bears or Vikings are a lock to win the division.

Against the Eagles’ defense, Jared Goff was 14-of-37 for 255 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He targeted Amon-Ra St. Brown a dozen times but he only caught two of them.

Campbell remains positive about his team. He takes his share of the blame but has faith his guys will be ready to get back to work to face the N.Y. Giants on Sunday, the first of three home games in 12 days.

“I just go back to I believe in these guys, I think they’re good enough, they know how to play together, we’ve just got to be a little more consistent in areas,’’ Campbell said. “It takes everybody. We’re so close. We can be so potent. Jamo is taking off, Gibbs is taking off. I’m not worried about the connection with Saint and Goff, that thing’s coming, it’s always there, it was just one of those days yesterday,’’ Campbell said. “We all elevate a little bit, including myself we’re going to be just fine.”

Campbell said they still haven’t quite played their best game in all three phases.

“Once we get there I think there’ll be no looking back,’’ Campbell said.

UP NEXT: N.Y. Giants (2-9) at the Lions (6-4), 1 p.m. on Sunday at Ford Field.