The Lions travel to Lambeau Field on Sunday for an NFC North showdown with the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers (6-2), winners of four in a row, and the Lions (6-1), winners of five in a row, have been two of the best teams in the NFC in 2024.
Additionally, both teams feature a top-10 offense. Through eight weeks, the Lions, led by veteran Jared Goff at center, have averaged a league-best 33.4 points per game. Meanwhile, the Packers, led by fifth-year pro and second-year starter Jordan Love under center, are averaging the sixth-most points per contest (27.0).
However, on Sunday, Green Bay could be without Love (groin), who did not practice Wednesday.
Love, who missed two games earlier this season with a sprained knee, left the Packers’ win against the Jacksonville Jaguars early Sunday with a groin injury. He suffered from the illness on the game’s first drive, but did not leave the Week 8 game until midway through Green Bay’s first drive of the second half.
Malik Willis, a 2022 third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, entered the contest in relief of Love. He then threw for 202 yards and scored a touchdown in the victory. Additionally, he added 73 yards and an additional score as a runner.
Additionally, on the second play of Green Bay’s final drive, Willis connected with receiver Jayden Reed on a 51-yard strike that ultimately set up Brandon McManus for a game-winning 24-yard field goal. It was McManus’ second kick for the Packers in as many weeks.
Willis, who has yet to take a single snap in his career against Detroit, has completed 29 of 39 passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns (zero interceptions) in four games (two starts) this season. Additionally, the Liberty product, among quarterbacks with at least 15 rushing attempts, leads the NFL in yards per carry with 8.6.
Meanwhile, Love has four career games (two starts) under his belt against the Lions and has totaled 648 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions in those contests. And, during the season, he completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,547 yards and 15 touchdowns (compared to nine interceptions).
If Love can’t go Sunday, Lions leader Dan Campbell knows his defense will have its hands full with dual-threat Willis.
“Man, he’s a dangerous jammer,” Campbell told reporters Wednesday. “That’s where it starts for him. His ability to generate explosives, get out of the pocket and take off, that’s where he’s extremely dangerous.
“There at the end of the game (against) Jacksonville, they threw the little sneak to (Reed), who I think is arguably their best receiver. … I mean, that won the game. That just play there did that, and the rest was just to end it before the basket.
Then, on the defensive side of the ball, Green Bay has allowed the 11th fewest points per game (21.3). Along with this, the unit offers several players with Focus on professional football overall grades of 74.9 and above: safety Xavier McKinney (89.8), linebacker Eric Wilson (88.0), safety Evan Williams (87.4) and cornerback Jaire Alexander (74.9). Alexander (knee) and Williams (hamstring), like Love, did not practice Wednesday and would be significant losses for the Packers’ defense against the powerful Lions.
At this point, I’ll give Detroit a 54 percent chance of leaving Lambeau with the Week 9 win.
