Detroit Lions Jake Bates on game-tying field goal
Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates said he didn’t know he was setting his career high until he was on the field for the kick against the New York Giants.
Free Press sports writer Christian Romo previews the Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers game on Thanksgiving Day, an annual football tradition in Detroit.
The longtime division rivals last played on Turkey Day in 2023, a Packers 29-22 upset at Ford Field.
The Lions ended their seven-game losing skid on the holiday last year, escaping a bad Chicago Bears team, 23-20, for their first win since 2016.
Here’s our breakdown of Packers-Lions, with fast facts, a scouting report and game score prediction.
Fast facts
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET; Thursday, Nov. 27; Ford Field, Detroit.
TV: Fox.
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1).
Line: Lions by 2½.
The coaches: Lions – Dan Campbell (51-39-1 overall, 46-32-1 with Lions); Packers – Matt LaFleur (74-36-1, all with Packers).
Last meeting: Sept. 7, Packers won 27-13.
Lions vs Packers matchups to watchDevonte Wyatt vs Lions OGs
The Lions’ offensive line neutralized New York Giants edge rushers Brian Burns (the NFC sack leader) and rookie Abdul Carter in their Week 12 comeback win, as the two combined for zero sacks and three quarterback hits. Unfortunately for the Lions, the Giants were able to get pressure from the interior, with three sacks on quarterback Jared Goff and six total tackles for loss.
And the challenge ratches up intensely for the Lions pass protection against the Packers.
Edge rushers Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary, who have combined for 17½ sacks this season, will certainly be the focus. But attention needs to be paid to the interior, too. Wyatt, in his first full season as a starter, has four sacks and 23 tackles over nine games. One of those sacks was on Goff in Week 1. Starting left guard Christian Mahogany is still out with a broken bone in his leg, but playing at home should mean the O-line won’t look as discombobulated as it did during that opening loss.
Amon-Ra St. Brown vs Packers secondary
St. Brown has dropped as many passes (five) through 11 games in 2025 as he did in 18 games in 2024, according to Pro Football Reference. Some of that is on Goff, who has needed to rush passes when the pocket collapses on him, but most of it is on St. Brown, who came into the season a sure-handed receiver. A third-quarter pass against the Giants bounced off his hands for an interception.
This Packers’ defense allows the fifth-fewest passing yards in football (182.3), partly because their pass rush eliminates the deep ball by forcing quarterbacks into checkdowns and short routes. Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs had a career-high 11 receptions (for just 45 yards) and a touchdown against the Giants. But St. Brown, who set a season-high with 149 receiving yards against the Giants, needs to offer Goff the same security up the middle for the Lions to move the ball effectively.
Lions vs Packers scouting reportLions offense vs Packers defense
This Packers defense is good in just about every way that the Giants defense was not. They’re great stopping the run, allowing fewer than 100 yards per game (sixth-best in the NFL). They’re even better at preventing big plays, allowing just 182.3 passing yards per game (fifth best).
The counters are two running backs in Gibbs and David Montgomery.
For all the deserved hyped Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons gets for his sack magic, he has never been a great run-stopper, which leaves room for Lions tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker to create some holes for Gibbs and Montgomery. They would like huge gains from their running backs like last week, but enough medium gains might be enough to get linebackers to bite on play-action, opening up space for St. Brown and tight end Brock Wright up the middle.
Of course, all of this requires the offensive line to play a lot better in pass protection than it has the past few games. Expect a lot of short passes to Gibbs, Montgomery and St. Brown to keep Green Bay’s defense out wide and quarterback Jared Goff off the turf. Edge: Packers.
Lions defense vs Packers offense
Now in his third season as the starter, quarterback Jordan Love has been good, but maybe not as great as many expected him to be.
He has improved at protecting the football with only three interceptions in 11 games in 2025, but he has also taken more sacks and made some questionable decisions in tight contests. He’s fourth in the league by adjusted QBR, but 17th in yards per game among starters (232.7) and 16th in touchdown passes (15) with an often decimated receiving corps.
Starting running back Josh Jacobs may be coming back after sitting out the Packers’ win Sunday over Minnesota with a knee injury. And even if Jacobs isn’t 100%, backup Emanuel Wilson ran for 107 yards on 28 carries in his first career start. In short: Green Bay’s offense isn’t as scary as its defense, but it’s still competent.
Detroit should still have the nod on this side of the ball, though, especially if it returns cornerback Terrion Arnold. That’ll give the Lions three of their regular starters back in the secondary, a unit that struggled in the first half against the Giants but figured some things out by the fourth quarter. A turnover or two will significantly help the cause, and a hungry crowd at Ford Field can help make that happen. Edge: Lions.
Lions vs Packers prediction, pick
Here are two things in Detroit’s favor: The Lions are home and, by mere percentage points, need this win to stay in the NFC playoff picture more than the Packers do. But weird things always seem to happen on short weeks, and we might be seeing some sloppy football on Thanksgiving Day as a result.
As we just saw on Sunday, the Lions are built to win sloppy. The Lions run the ball better than the Packers do. They have a quarterback with more big-game experience. And they have a coach who keeps his composure, but is also willing to make difficult in-game adjustments.
Don’t each too much turkey during this one, because it may not be pretty to watch. But the Lions will get it done. The pick: Lions 27, Packers 24.
Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.