Which Green Bay Packers player do the Detroit Lions need to shut down this week?
The Green Bay Packers have always been the top rival for Detroit Lions fans. For decades, they were the model of the NFC North/Central, and the Lions always seemed to be one, two, or three steps behind. Playing in Lambeau was a death sentence for Lions teams of the past.
In 2024, the shoe is very much on the other foot. The Lions have displayed solid, consistent play for nearly 2.5 seasons now, and they head to Green Bay this week as road favorites. What’s even more incredible is they’re favorites over a Packers team that most consider top-10 in the league. It’s a 6-1 Lions team against the a 6-2 Packers team. This is what this rivalry should have always been.
While the Lions are favorites this week, that doesn’t mean Green Bay will be a pushover. There are several players who could give the Lions trouble on Sunday. So today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Packers player needs to be held in check the most?
My answer: There are so many possible answers here. Defensively, Xavier McKinney leads the league in interceptions, and that entire Packers defense is so reliant upon takeaways that if McKinney tallies another one or two, that could be the difference in the game. Additionally, defensive tackle Kenny Clark has the ability to take away Detroit’s run game, which is the key to everything the Lions do offensively—particularly in a game in which its supposed to rain.
Offensively, the Packers have a few threats. Receiver Jayden Reed is emerging as Green Bay’s top receiving threat, and the former Michigan State Spartan can hurt you in so many ways.
But my answer to the question is running back Josh Jacobs. He’s their workhorse back, and he’s been thriving in that role despite some questions along the Packers offensive line. Jacobs is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards (667) while averaging a very respectable 4.6 yards per carry. What’s particularly impressive about him are the yards after contact. He’s first in the NFL with 528 yards after contact (13th in yards after contact per rush with 3.6).
The Lions run defense has looked suspect in the past month, and physical backs like Jacobs have been the issue, whether it was Kenneth Walker or Tony Pollard. If Detroit can bottle Jacobs up with their depleted front seven, it could force Jordan Love/Malik Willis into third-and-longs, which makes them prone to game-flipping mistakes.
Which Packers player do you think the Lions need to shut down the most?