Packers at Lions
▶ Kickoff: 1 p.m. Sunday, Ford Field, Detroit
▶ TV/radio: Fox/97.1 FM
▶ Records: Green Bay 3-5, Detroit 1-6
▶ Line: Packers by 3½
▶ Series: Packers lead, 105-73-7 (Last meeting: Lions, 37-30, Jan. 9, 2022)
▶ Outlook: The Packers have lost four games in a row, including their loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday.
Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News breaks down the Lions’ Week 9 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Key matchup
LIONS OFFENSIVE LINE VS. PACKERS FRONT SEVEN
The Lions have been so flatly bad on the defensive side of the ball this year that most of the key matchups have pertained to them somehow finding a way to slow down some dynamic receiving duo or running back.
But what happens on the defensive side of the ball this week won’t matter if the Lions’ offense that’s shown up for 10 of the last 12 quarters is standing with its hands in its pockets when the going gets tough. Green Bay’s passing defense ranks third, and while Jared Goff’s first-half performance last week was encouraging, they’re in desperate need of a consistent rushing attack to slow the game down and prevent another shootout while also maintaining a rhythm. Given the ground game is their strength, they should be able to have a good day against a Packers run defense that ranks third from last.
Packers to watch
➤ DE Rashan Gary: Gary’s familiar with these parts, after spending three years rushing the passer as a Michigan Wolverine from 2016-18. As it so happens, the team he’s sacked more than any other team in his career is the Lions. When he comes to Ford Field this weekend, he’ll be touting the seventh-most sacks in the NFL (6.0) and looking to terrorize a Lions quarterback who doesn’t handle pressure all that well. Penei Sewell will have his hands full.
➤ RB Aaron Jones: The sixth-year running back is smooth as ever, already just 224 rushing yards shy of matching his rushing total from last year. He ranks fifth in rushing yards (575) and has three receiving touchdowns to go with one on the ground. Jones is coming off a 20-carry, 143-yard game against a Buffalo defense that has a case to be the league’s best run defense. Against a team that has one of the league’s worst run defenses and is averaging 5.1 yards per carry, Jones figures to be a focus of Green Bay’s attack.
➤ CB Jaire Alexander: Though Goff managed to protect the ball against the Dolphins this past weekend, the sight of Alexander patrolling the secondary at Ford Field on Sunday should give him pause — especially if Green Bay’s pass rush is getting home and forcing Goff into decisions. Though Alexander has just one interception this season, he grades out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 18-ranked cornerback and 13th-best cover corner.
Facts and figures
➤ Though the Packers’ defense has been strong so far, Green Bay hasn’t fared much better than Detroit has in the turnover battle. The Pack have just seven takeaways (tied for 27th in the league) compared to Detroit’s six (tied for 30th) and have 10 giveaways to Detroit’s 11. If the Lions can win the turnover battle, like they did against the Dolphins last week, that’ll go a long way in helping Detroit find a win.
➤ If turnovers don’t decide this game, there’s a good chance that red-zone performance will. We’ve got a strength-on-strength matchup with the Lions’ offense producing a touchdown on 72% of its red-zone trips, good for third in the league, and Green Bay’s red-zone defense ranking fourth in opposing red-zone percentage (45.5%).
➤ Lions running back D’Andre Swift returned to action this past Sunday but had his day limited to six yards on five carries, plus a receiving touchdown and 27 yards through the air. Getting Swift back in full capacity will be a major boost to an offense that’s struggled mightily to maintain drives in his absence, as his 7.6 yards per touch still lead the league (min. 30 touches).