The Green Bay Packers (6-2) and Detroit Lions (6-1) will do battle on Sunday at Lambeau Field with first place in the NFC North on the line. Can Matt LaFleur’s team extend the win streak to five games entering the bye week, or will the surging Lions send the Packers to an 0-2 start inside the division?
Quarterback Jordan Love (groin) is listed as questionable, but he practiced on Thursday and Friday and is trending towards being available for Sunday.
Here’s how the staff at Packers Wire believes the Week 9 showdown with the Lions will go down:
Zach Kruse: Packers 23, Lions 20 (4-4)
The Lions are a freight train, but the expected weather conditions in Green Bay for Sunday give the Packers — who are dealing with several key injuries — a real chance to pull off the upset. The Lions are headed outside for the first time this season, and Jared Goff isn’t nearly the same quarterback outdoors, which could lower some of the ridiculous offensive efficiency the Lions have created this season. Still, this is a tough matchup. The Lions are an elite rushing offense, and playmakers on the backend (Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch) create turnover concerns for Jordan Love, who is likely to be at less than 100 percent. Can the Packers get a takeaway or two and consistently win along the line of scrimmage? Matt LaFleur’s team has won in so many different ways this season, and I think the experience dealing with so much adversity pays off Sunday. In a sloppy showdown at a rainy Lambeau Field, the Packers escape with a huge division win going into the bye.
Brandon Carwile: Lions 28, Packers 23 (6-2)
For starters, I think the game will be close regardless of whether Jordan Love plays or not. However, it may not change the result. Detroit is one of the best teams in the NFL and has won four of the last five games against Green Bay. And while the Packers’ defense has been a pleasant surprise this season, the dual backfield of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery will be a significant challenge. It’ll undoubtedly be the best one-two punch Green Bay has faced this season and Jared Goff is also playing some of the best ball of his career. Offensively, if Love plays, he won’t be at 100 percent. To keep up with the Lions’ top-scoring offense, Josh Jacobs would need to have a huge game but that won’t be easy facing a top five run defense. I think the Packers are good enough to beat Detroit, but they are a little too banged up on both sides of the ball to pull out a win this week.
Brennen Rupp: Lions 23, Packers 20 (7-1)
Detroit is playing like the best team in the NFC right now. Over their last four games they’ve averaged 43 points per game and scored over 42 points in three of those four games. The Packers will have to limit the mistakes in this game if they’re going to stand a chance and through eight games, there is little evidence to suggest they’ll be able to do that. There are no moral victories at 1265 Lombardi Avenue, but if Jeff Hafley’s squad is able to slow down Detroit’s offense (which I think they will), that will have to have Green Bay feeling confident that they may finally have a defense that can help them win games in December and January.
| Writer | Prediction | Score | Record |
| Zach Kruse | Win | 23-20 | 4-4 |
| Brandon Carwile | Loss | 28-23 | 6-2 |
| Brennen Rupp | Loss | 23-20 | 7-1 |
