The traditional Thanksgiving Day games are back, and this year brings us a divisional rematch between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. These teams last met in Week 1, where Green Bay handled the Lions 27–13 at Lambeau. In the perfect revenge spot, coming off an OT scare, can Detroit get its payback?
In week 1, Detroit never found an offensive rhythm. Jared Goff was able to pass for 200 yards and almost 80% completion percentage, but the running game never got going. Detroit had 46 yards on 22 carries for a measly average of 2.2 yards per carry.
That must improve if they want to find their 8th victory this season. The running game has been one of Detroit's weaknesses this season, as it has been very inconsistent. Their last four games' yards per carry are 11.9, 3.5, 6.8, and 3.3, displaying that inconsistency, but they are coming off one of their better rushing games of the season, something to build on.
Now back at Ford Field for consecutive games where Detroit has been far more consistent, they have a good chance to improve on that 1-for-4 red-zone performance from week 1. Coming off a week where they were big public favorites to beat New York by double digits and squeaked by in overtime, this should have their attention, especially staying at home for another game.
Green Bay remains a competitive team, but with the loss of Josh Jacobs, their running game could begin to slow. Even coming off a game over 100 rushing yards vs Minnesota, Wilson averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, and his backup Brooks averaged just 2.6 yards per carry; that won’t cut it vs better competition.
To add to Green Bay’s potential problems this week, they take a step up in competition vs this high-powered Lions offense. Green Bay is coming off games vs the Vikings, Giants, Eagles, Panthers, Steelers, Cardinals, and Bengals. The most recent three, MIN, NYG, PHI, have really struggled on offense in 2025, and the last seven teams are a step down in class compared to what the Lions offer.
Looking at power ratings, both are similar as Sagarin has Detroit 3rd and Green Bay 5th, but what stands out is the strength of schedule. Detroit owns the 7th toughest schedule, while the Packers have enjoyed the 27th-ranked schedule, something I alluded to in my previous paragraph.
While the Micah Parsons addition has been nice, Detroit still holds the edge here, ranking #1 in the NFL at QB hurries allowed, while Green Bay ranks just 16th in QB hurries. Lions rank 8th in the league in sacks, and if they can get to Love, I can see Green Bay struggling to get past 20-23 points on Thursday. In a classic home-revenge setup, give me Detroit 27-20.