DETROIT (AP) — Detroit and Green Bay, longtime rivals and current contenders, will have much at stake when they meet Thursday night in the Motor City.
The NFC-leading Lions (11-1) are aiming to stay ahead of Philadelphia (10-2) in the race for the conference's best record and Minnesota (10-2) in the NFC North with a win against the Packers.
Detroit can also clinch a spot in the playoffs with an 11th straight victory that would set a franchise record.
“We’re in playoff football right now,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “This is the type of stuff that you live for and it’s also the type of stuff that gets you ready for the tournament.”
Green Bay (9-3) also has a lot to play for because it can pull within a game of the Lions if it can split the season series with a slight upset as 3 1/2-point underdogs, according to BetMGM.
“This game is going to be important for us moving forward toward the end of this thing and we’re going to treat it as such,” Packers safety Xavier McKinney said.
Born to run
Green Bay’s ability to slow down Detroit’s run game might be pivotal.
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, the first teammates in league history to run for at least 10 touchdowns in consecutive seasons, have combined to average more than 140 yards on the ground per game.
The Packers limited San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey to 31 yards on 11 attempts and held Miami to 39 yards rushing in their past two games. It was the first time since 1995, and just the second time since 1950, that they gave up fewer than 45 yards rushing in two straight weeks.
Montgomery ran 17 times for 73 yards and Gibbs had 65 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries last month at Green Bay.
“They played Montgomery the whole first half and then the second half they came with Gibbs,” McKinney recalled. “They got a good 1-2 punch.”
Road warriors
Home field has not been an advantage in the series lately.
The road team has won four straight games, going back to Detroit closing the 2022 regular season and Aaron Rodgers' career with the Packers in a 20-16 win at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay has won five straight NFC North road games, including last year at Detroit on Thanksgiving.
Picked off
McKinney and Lions safety Kerby Joseph each have an NFL -high seven interceptions, leading the rest of the league by at least two.
Joseph had a pick-6 in the most recent meeting against Green Bay and has picked off four passes in four games against the Packers.
“He’s a ballhawk,” Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. “He’s going to make the plays when the ball’s in the air, so he’s definitely a guy you’ve got to know where he’s at.”
Social media slipup
Lions coach Dan Campbell was taken aback at a news conference recently when a reporter informed him Gibbs had a post on social media showing some of the team's strategy.
“I'd rather our stuff not be out there,” Campbell said.
Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur feels the same way, though he said it doesn't provide a competitive edge to see another team's terminology on a whiteboard.
“Guys understand that nobody wants their information out there for the whole world to see, so we try to keep everything in house here,” LaFleur said. “But I don’t think it’s like the end of the world, either.”
Tough stretch
Both teams will play a third game in 12 days.
“How the whole organization has handled this has been really impressive,” said Packers defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness, who had a sack in each of his past two games.
After the game, each team will get a break.
The Lions will host the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills on Dec. 15 and Green Bay plays at Seattle later that night.
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