Packers vs. Lions: 7 things to know about Green Bay's Week 13 opponent

The Green Bay Packers will go on the road to play the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day in Week 13. Both teams have seven wins and are looking up at the upstart Chicago Bears in the NFC North standings after 12 weeks. And considering the depth of the NFC playoff race right now, Thursday's holiday showdown at Ford Field has massive postseason implications.

The Packers beat the Lions, who are 7-4 and have doubled their number of losses in 2025, during the Week 1 opener at Lambeau Field. Green Bay hasn't swept Detroit in the season series since 2020. Thursday's visit to Ford Field starts a stretch of four road games in the final six weeks of the season for the Packers.

Here's a closer look at the Lions entering Week 13:

Last week

The Lions allowed over 500 total yards and trailed 10-0 early and 27-17 in the fourth quarter before storming back and beating the Giants in overtime at Ford Field. Dan Campbell's team got a game-tying field goal from 59 yards out from Jake Bates late in the fourth quarter, a go-ahead 69-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs in overtime and the game-ending sack on fourth down from Aidan Hutchinson. Gibbs produced a career-high 264 yards from scrimmage, including a career-high 219 rushing yards, and scored three times. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine passes for 149 yards and Hutchinson had a sack and six quarterback hits. One thing to consider: the Lions defense was on the field for 77 plays and over 37 minutes of game time in an overtime game entering a short week.

What's new since first meeting?

The Packers cruised to a 27-13 win over the Lions to open the 2025 regular season at Lambeau Field. Since Week 1, the Lions have lost two starters on offense -- guard Christian Mahogany and tight end Sam LaPorta -- and the defense has had to weather unending injuries in the secondary. Although the Lions have four losses, or double their total from 2024, and it took a big comeback in the fourth quarter to avoid a 1-3 stretch coming out of the bye, Dan Campbell's team is still formidable. Detroit is the second-ranked scoring offense in football, and the defense -- while up and down -- is 12th overall in points and allowing only 5.1 yards per play.

Quarterback play

Jared Goff is having a typical season, which means he's been productive leading an explosive, talented offense. Goff has thrown 23 touchdown passes to only five interceptions, and his 108.5 passer rating ranks fourth in the NFL. He's completing almost 70 percent of his passes and averaging almost 8.0 yards per attempt -- both strong numbers. However, Goff has just eight "big time throws" and seven "turnover worthy plays," and his passing grade at PFF ranks only 14th among quarterbacks. He doesn't move around well, and he's taken 23 sacks despite a sack-to-pressure percentage around 18.0. Goff wants to get the ball out of his hands and isn't a big deep ball thrower.

Line of scrimmage

The Lions have been a dominant team along the line of scrimmage in recent years, but maybe not in 2025. At ESPN, the Lions offense ranks 26th in pass block win rate and 24th in run block win rate while the defense ranks 28th in pass rush win rate and 30th in run stop win rate. PFF doesn't agree. The Lions rank 23rd in pass blocking grade, but also third in run blocking grade, third in run defense grade and fourth in pass rush grade. There are elite players on each side of the line, with Penei Sewell at right tackle and Aidan Hutchinson at edge rusher. But there are weak spots next to the elite players, too. Indoors at Ford Field, the Packers have a big test ahead along the offensive line.

Turnovers

The Lions are +5 in turnover differential, ranking tied for seventh in the NFL after 12 weeks. The team's eight giveaways are tied for the third fewest, while the 13 takeaways rank tied for 12th. The Lions have just one game with multiple giveaways and are 4-0 when getting at least two takeaways. Jared Goff has thrown only five picks (1.4 interception percentage) but does have three fumbles. Safety Kerby Joseph has three interceptions but has also missed five straight games with a knee injury. Aidan Hutchinson is the big problem -- he's forced four fumbles. Jack Campbell and Amik Robertson have both forced two fumbles. In Week 1, Evan Williams' diving interception in the red zone was a huge play. Two crucial turnovers (pick six in Green Bay, lost fumble in Detroit) killed the Packers in a series sweep by the Lions in 2024.

Injury situation

Cornerback Terrion Arnold (who has missed back-to-back games with a concussion) and safety Kerby Joseph (who has missed five straight games with a knee injury) both missed last week's win over the Giants, helping explain the defensive collapse. The Lions also had eight players listed as questionable, including starting offensive linemen Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker, Tate Ratledge and Graham Glasgow. Starting guard Christian Mahogany and tight end Sam LaPorta are the big names on injured reserve. The Lions listed 15 players on the first injury report of the week on Monday. Both of these teams are beat up and persevering through injury at this point of the season.

Players to know

RB Jahmyr Gibbs: In 11 games, Gibbs has produced 1,330 total yards and 13 scores. The Packers shut him down in Week 1, but Gibbs is coming off a career-high 264 yards from scrimmage and 219 rushing yards last week against the Giants.

LB Jack Campbell: One of the best linebackers in football. Campbell has been an elite run defender, and he ranks first among linebackers in "stops," or a tackle creating a failure for the offense.

DE Al-Quadin Muhammad: Everyone knows Aidan Hutchinson, but who is the Lions' second best rusher in 2025? Probably Muhammad, who has 36 pressures and 12 quarterback hits over 233 pass-rushing snaps. He's not an every down player, but the Packers need to account for No. 96 on passing downs.

WR Jameson Williams: Amon-Ra St. Brown is the go-to player in the passing game, but Williams is the deep threat and speedy big-play threat. He's averaging 18.1 yards per catch and 10.6 yards per target in 2025.

K Jake Bates: The former UFL star made a career-long 59-yard field goal to send last week's game into overtime. He's got a big leg and is terrific indoors at Ford Field. Bates has 10 makes of at least 50 yards over the last two seasons.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers vs. Lions: 7 things to know about Green Bay's Week 13 opponent