Jordan Love gets his first primetime close-up as a starter tonight, and it sounds like he’ll finally have his two most explosive friends on the field together with him.
What versions of Aaron Jones and Christian Watson we get remains to be seen. Logic tells us the team will work them in slowly, put them on a pitch count, and see how their hammies respond. But maybe they’re feeling 100%, and the team has been ultra-conservative in holding them back. They could use the 100% versions, for sure.
We’ll find out tonight when the Lions come calling as small favorites at Lambeau, something as common as Aaron Rodgers getting a flu shot. The Detroit Lions game can serve as an early statement in the division, with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears searching for their first wins. It has to be the first time in league history where teams play twice on Thursdays in the same season.
With both teams battling injuries, whichever team gets more out of their backups will likely come away with the win. The Lions are dealing with injuries on their offensive line, with right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai sidelined. Right tackle Taylor Decker is dealing with a high ankle sprain, and after conflicting reports on whether he’ll go, he will start against game-wrecker Rashan Gary. If he were to sit out again, or if he can’t finish, the Lions would be down to a third-stringer.
Gary’s former Wolverines teammate, Aidan Hutchinson, will be a handful for the Pack’s makeshift line. We know the left side remains out, and right tackle Zach Tom is questionable. Expect Jordan Love to use those legs to do plenty of work outside of the pocket to try to keep Hutchinson and Co. at bay.
Detroit’s defense remains a work in progress, especially since they lost their prized free agent for the season a couple of weeks ago. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson had assumed the leadership role but tore his pec in Week 2. Rookie Brian Branch, a guy I wanted the Pack to grab in Round 2, has flexed in his absence and looks like a difference-maker back there. Having Watson back should command a lot of his attention, which should open up opportunities for Jayden Reed and Luke Musgrave.
They’ve been stout so far is against the run. They did a great job containing Bijan Robinson last week, and he will be a stern test for the Pack’s running game, which is still looking to get out of the starting gate. A healthy Aaron Jones would come in very handy, not just on the ground but as a safety valve in the passing game.
The Pack’s defense will be tested on the ground once again with the two-headed attack of David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery is back from injury, and Gibbs broke out in his absence last week. He’s lightning-quick and explosive. Gibbs will test Green Bay’s defense on the edges like Robinson did two weeks ago. The Pack will miss linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, whose ankle injury will keep him out tonight.
The Packers will also likely be without Jaire Alexander again, and his backup Carrington Valentine is also questionable. With big play targets like Amon-Ra St. Brown and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, the Pack must make Jared Goff uncomfortable. He’ll pick ‘em apart if he has time in the pocket.
The margin for error is thin tonight. The Packers must continue to take care of the ball and can’t give up any more big plays on special teams if they want to hang with the Lions. It’s going to take big-time efforts from backups like Rasheed Walker, Yosh Nijman, Isaiah McDuffie, and Corey Ballentine.
The Lions have won the last three in this series and are looking to take advantage of this primetime opportunity to show that they’re not the same old Lions and that their opening night win in Kansas City was not a fluke.
For the Pack, the schedule gets kind of wacky after tonight: They’ll play just one game over the next 23 days, giving the team a much-needed chance to heal up. If they can find a way to squeak out a win over the Lions, they’ll be staring at a real opportunity to head into their Week 6 bye at 4-1 and atop the NFC North.
This feels like a toss-up to me. The Lions have been the more physical team lately, but the young Packers appear speedier and hungrier than we’ve seen recently, and last week’s unlikely comeback provides hope that momentum might be in their favor. I refuse to pick them to lose like I did the last two weeks.
Packers 23
Lions 21
