Thanksgiving just isn’t the same without football and Detroit has been serving up every Lions favorite side dish since 1934, only taking a break during WWII. They’ve taken to the field on turkey day more than any other NFL team, however they unfortunately have a losing record on the holiday as well (winning 38 of 85 games). This year, the Green Bay Packers are heading into Ford Field with hopes to walk away with the infamous turkey legs (or carrot if you’re David Montgomery), but the Lions have other plans. Let’s dive in and see what the tape tells us.
Scoring
As we head into Week 13, the scoring breaks down as follows:
Offense
Detroit has been struggling on offense, despite their win last week. With head coach Dan Campebll taking over playcalling, it seems as though they are relying heavily on what he knows best: the run game. Although Campbell mentioned wanting to filter David Montgomery (511 rushing yards) in more, they are still turning to his younger counterpart, Jahmyr Gibbs (951 rushing yards) more and the Sonic/Knuckles duo is trending more into a Sonic solo show. Despite their strong run game, Jared Goff is racking up the passing yards as well (2, 769 passing yards), leaning on his elite wide receiver room. Amon-Ra St. Brown (884 receiving yards) and Jameson Williams (562 receiving yards) are hitting the turf (or grass) and scoring TDs (totaling 14 touchdowns on the season between the pair). They also have nothing but confidence when Jake Bates is sent out for a field goal attempt or extra point, as he’s bringing in the most points on offense (82 points). Needless to say, the guys has things figured out. Hopefully. With big playmakers like Sam Laporta and Kalif Raymond, and Brock Wright out with injuries, Detroit fans are praying they’re able to continue moving the chains and finding the endzone.
Green Bay, on the other hand, is stepping into the D full of good health and a goal to break the Lions spirit after their close win against the Giants last week. They’re feeling pretty good about themselves in taking down their divisional rivalry, the Minnesota Vikings, 23-6. Once again, they are finding themselves in another divisional matchup and looking to continue climbing to the top. Unlike the Lions, the Packers seem to have a fair balance between their run and passing game. Jordan Love (2,560 passing yards) is hitting his key targets in wide receivers Romeo Doubs (522 receiving yards) and Tucker Kraft (489 receiving yards) time and time again, totalling ten touchdowns between the two. Even with Love’s dime ball, Green Bay isn’t afraid to turn to its running back room either. With a powerhouse duo of Josh Jacobs (648 yards) and Emanuel Wilson (327 yards), they’re a match made for moving the chains. Jacobs is even at the top of the list for points scored so far on the season (66 points) and doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon.
Defense
It’s no secret that both defenses are ranked at the top this season (Lions: 5th / Packers: 4th) and with talent like Aidan Hutchinson and Micah Parsons taking down quarterbacks, it’s also no surprise. Detroit has found its rhythm with Hutch’s (8.5 sacks) style in combination with Jack Campbell (102 tackles) and Alex Anzalone’s (63 tackles) skill…not to mention, Kerby Joseph leading the team in interceptions (3). Detroit is also more efficient in the red zone (61.1%) and Green Bay (58.6%) and are more efficient in terms of turnovers (Detroit: 13 / Packers: 11). But don’t turn your nose up at the Packers just yet. Not only are they ranked just above Detroit, but they’re right alongside them with interceptions as well. Evan Williams tied Detroit’s Kerby Joseph with three and Xavier McKinney just behind with two. Both teams are missing key pieces to their defense, which would make or break their performance. Detroit will be without Kerby Joseph and has several important players battling injuries, and Green Bay does with Karl Brooks, Keisean Nixon, and Lukas Van Ness as well.
With two strong defenses and creative, but efficient offenses, this matchup between the Lions and Packers will be an interesting one. Dan Campbell and Packers coach Matt LaFleur will definitely have their work cut out for them if they want to grab a bite of those turkey legs.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions vs Packers Week 13: Tale of the Tapes
Reporting by Krystal Parcher, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
