‘We’re a Different Team’: Packers Gear Up for NFC North Showdown with Lions
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers are back in the conversation, and this time, they’re ready to talk about the Detroit Lions. After a rough 24-14 loss to the NFC North leaders in Week 9 at Lambeau Field, the Packers are heading into their Thanksgiving rematch with a renewed sense of purpose and momentum. The rematch, set for next Thursday at Ford Field (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video), comes on the heels of three straight wins for Green Bay, including a commanding 30-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving night.
It’s not just the wins that have Packers fans buzzing—it’s how they’re winning. The team that fell behind 24-3 early in their first meeting with Detroit is playing a completely different brand of football now. The energy in the locker room says it all.
“The one thing that stands out to me is we’re being physical in every phase of football, and I think that’s going to do us well,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think that gives you a chance each and every week, and it shows up all over the tape, whether it’s our linebackers hitting people, whether it’s up front, our receivers blocking. Really in every phase of the game, I think our guys are being extremely physical, and that’s something we can hang our hat on.”
Offense Finds Its Groove
On the offensive side of the ball, the Packers have seemingly solved their red zone woes. Back in Week 9, they went just 1-for-4 on touchdowns inside the 20-yard line and were sitting at a 47.1% red zone success rate for the season. Fast forward to the last three games, and Green Bay has been on fire, scoring touchdowns on 73.3% of their red zone trips. At one point, they even had a streak of nine straight red zone drives ending in touchdowns.
Quarterback Jordan Love has been a revelation. After throwing 10 interceptions earlier in the season—including a pick-six to Lions safety Kerby Joseph—Love has turned things around. In the last three games, he’s thrown just one interception, and Thursday’s game marked his second consecutive outing without a pick. Against the Dolphins, Love completed 21 of 28 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing the rhythm and confidence he’s been building.
Then there’s Josh Jacobs, who has been the workhorse the Packers hoped for when they signed him in free agency. Jacobs has racked up five touchdowns in the past three games and has surpassed 100 yards from scrimmage in each of the last five contests. His streak of 100-yard games is tied with Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson for the longest in the NFL this season.
“We know who we got this week coming up is a really good Lions team, and obviously they got us the first game,” Love said. “But I think just the rhythm we’re finding on offense right now, the way the defense is playing, I think we’re in a good spot.”
Defense Steps Up
Speaking of the defense, they’ve been just as impressive. Against Miami, the Packers held the Dolphins to a mere 39 rushing yards on 14 attempts. While Tua Tagovailoa threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns, much of that came late in the game when Green Bay already had a commanding 27-3 lead. The defense also sacked Tagovailoa five times, a significant improvement for a unit that struggled to generate pressure earlier in the season.
Inside linebacker Quay Walker has been a standout, delivering his two best performances of the season in back-to-back games. Defensive tackle Kenny Clark also made his presence felt, recording his first sack of the year against Miami.
“We’re a different team,” Clark said. “We’re playing better together, taking away the ball. Like we’ve been talking about, just coming together as a team and playing complementary football and eliminating mistakes. Still got to slow down with the penalties and all that stuff as far as shooting ourselves in the foot and all the ticky-tack stuff. I think we’re getting away from that and just coming together as a team.”
The Road Ahead
The Packers could have used some help from the Bears, who had the Lions on the ropes earlier on Thanksgiving Day, but Detroit pulled off the win. The Lions now sit atop the NFC North at 11-1, followed by the 9-2 Vikings and the 9-3 Packers. According to ESPN Research, the NFC North is the first division to feature three nine-win teams through Week 13 since the 1985 AFC East.
“I haven’t been 9-3 since I’ve been in the league,” said safety Xavier McKinney, who joined the Packers this offseason after four years with the Giants. “So it feels amazing, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do. We’ve got a tough division, and we’ve got to get prepared for a big game next week.”
Since Week 4, the Packers have gone 7-1, with their only loss coming against the Lions. The only teams with better records during that span are the Eagles (7-0) and Lions (8-0).
“It’s not a crazy feat to play these guys,” Packers linebacker Eric Wilson said of the Lions. “They play hard, they play together. We’re made of a similar philosophy—playing together and playing hard.”
Originally Written by: Rob Demovsky
