The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions continued their historic rivalry on Thursday at Ford Field, meeting for the 193rd time in series history. It’s the second-most played matchup in NFL history behind the Packers and Bears (210 games).
Meeting for the 23rd time on Thanksgiving, the Packers held on for a 31-24 victory to improve to 8-3-1 on the year, while the Lions dropped to 7-5 on the season. Green Bay now has a leg up in the NFC North over its division rivals, although both teams trail the first-place Chicago Bears, who play tomorrow in Philadelphia.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Jordan Love is money on fourth down for Packers
Lions head coach Dan Campbell is well-known for his willingness to go for it on fourth down, but Packers head coach Mike LaFleur showed he was also in a betting mood on Thursday.
Green Bay went for it three times on fourth down in Detroit territory, turning two plays into touchdowns and the last one to finish the game for the win.
The first was a Love fade pass to Dontayvion Wicks on fourth-and-2 from Detroit’s 22-yard line for a score, giving Green Bay a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Packers’ Jordan Love finds Dontayvion Wicks for a 22-yard touchdown vs. Lions | NFL Highlights
Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love found Dontayvion Wicks for a 22-yard touchdown against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
Later in the first half, the Packers went for it again on fourth-and-1 from Detroit’s 2-yard line, with Love finding Romeo Doubs on an out route for the score and a 17-7 lead. Finally, Love found Wicks again down the field with pressure in his face for 16 yards late in the game to seal the victory.
Meanwhile, Campbell and the Lions finished 0-for-2 on fourth downs. Jaymir Gibbs was stuffed for a two-yard loss on fourth-and-3 from Green Bay’s 47-yard line in the first half and Jameson Williams dropped an easy conversion for a first down on an out route in the fourth quarter.
The Lions are 0-for-7 on fourth downs over the last three games.
Love had a big day, completing 17-of-28 for 218 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions. Wicks was his favorite target, totaling five receptions for 78 yards and two scores.
2. Micah Parsons wreaks havoc on Detroit offense
Parsons entered Thursday’s game leading the NFL in pressures with 64. He proved hard to block for Detroit, totaling eight combined tackles, four quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks against Jared Goff and the Lions. Parsons finished with a game-high 10 pressures.
Parsons had half of a sack in the first half, and his last two came at crucial times in the fourth quarter.
Parsons also helped the Packers hold Jahmyr Gibbs to 68 rushing yards. Gibbs entered Thursday’s contest No. 5 in the league in scrimmage yards with 1,330.
3. Williams picks up the slack with Amon Ra St. Brown out
Detroit’s go-to receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown suffered a left ankle injury when his teammate rolled up on him in the opening quarter. He was ruled out for the game soon after he made it to the locker room.
With Brown out, fellow receiver Williams filled the playmaker’s void, posting seven receptions for 144 yards and a score.
4. Josh Jacobs looks healthy in return for Green Bay
The Packers’ No. 1 back, Jacobs, looked like his old self in his return to the lineup after missing last week’s easy win over the Minnesota Vikings with a knee injury.
Jacobs finished with 83 yards on 17 carries (4.9 yards per carry) with a season-long of 29-yard rush in the first half. Emanuel Wilson did a nice job in place of Jacobs last week, totaling a career-high 107 rushing yards, but if the Packers want to make a deep playoff run, they need their top back healthy and playing well.
4 ½. What’s next?
In their chase for the top spot in the NFC North, the Packers host the division leaders in the Chicago Bears (8-3) next Sunday in “America’s Game of the Week” (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX). It’s part of a tough stretch to finish out the year for the Packers, with a rematch against the Bears coming just three weeks in Chicago with games against the Broncos, Ravens and Vikings to finish out the year.
The Lions will attempt to get back on the winning track against the Dallas Cowboys in a nationally televised contest next Thursday night before traveling to the West Coast to face the top team in the NFC — the Los Angeles Rams — at SoFi Stadium in Week 15.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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