The Green Bay Packers fell behind 17-3 before halftime after a pick-six from Kerby Joseph, trailed 24-3 early in the second half and ultimately lost 24-14 to the Detroit Lions at rain-soaked Lambeau Field in November . 3 – a loss that reduced Matt LaFleur's team to 6-3 entering the bye week.
The Packers and Lions will face off in their rematch on Thursday night at Ford Field. Since November 3, the Packers have won three straight games and are now 9-3, while the Lions continued their now 10-game winning streak and are 11-1.
The decisive showdown is the Packers' last hope for the NFC North title and a great chance for LaFleur's team to prove that they are one of the true Super Bowl contenders.
What has changed for these two teams since the beginning of November?
Packers Wire and Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire provided their breakdown:
Packers Wire
The Packers are playing their best football of the year, especially in the last two games. Jordan Love has two straight games without a turnover, Josh Jacobs has back-to-back games with 12 or more tackles, the offense is finally turning red zone trips into touchdowns and the defense has stopped two straight teams running for less than 50 yards and can do all of them Attack levels well. Even the special teams were positive — a recovered fumble off a punt set up a touchdown last week. It's possible the Packers could also bring back cornerback Jaire Alexander on Thursday night. Although the Packers needed something of a miracle to escape Chicago with a win a few weeks ago, the Lions know a little about miraculous successes against the Bears. Above all, the Packers have been playing a much more physical style of football lately. Love also appears to have fully recovered from knee and groin injuries that limited his mobility in the first meeting. The Packers are healthy and improving, although a third game in 12 days will test their mental and physical strength. —Zach Kruse
Lions wire
The Lions keep adding injuries to the defense, but they keep adjusting to the adversity. Za'Darius Smith has been outstanding since joining the Lions, generating plenty of pressure and bringing infectious energy. Defensive center back Alim McNeill and DJ Reader have taken a step up together. Reader just had his first 2-sack game since 2018 while McNeill continues to play at a Pro Bowl-worthy level. Injury replacements such as Al-Quadin Muhammad, Ezekiel Turner and David Long have proven capable. The Lions' offense has cooled off a bit, due in part to injuries to left tackle Taylor Decker. Jared Goff remains very sharp and Tim Patrick has become increasingly important in the passing offense. Blitzing Goff requires him to show why he's an MVP candidate, but defenses that can generate pressure with just four players proved tricky to Ben Johnson's creative plan. That was evident against the Colts and Bears, and the pass protection wasn't up to previous standards – including All-Pro Penei Sewell at right tackle. The Lions don't make as many explosive plays in the passing game, but the 1-2 rushing attack of Sonic and Knuckles, aka Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, still confuses opposing defenses. –Jeff Risdon
