The Green Bay Packers will play on Thanksgiving for the 39th time in franchise history on Thursday, and they’ll most certainly be thankful if they can walk out of Ford Field with a big divisional primetime win.
Behind the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys, who play annually on Thanksgiving, the Packers have played on the holiday the most with either one of their fellow NFC teams. Of their 38 Thanksgiving games, the Packers are 16-20-2 overall, so it hasn’t been the most favorable of games for them. But with a two-game winning streak right now and the expected return of running back Josh Jacobs on Thursday afternoon, the Packers will look to make turkeys out of the Lions.
The Big Story
The Lions come into Thanksgiving with a fairly even record compared to the Packers, at 7-4. Only the now infamous tie against the Cowboys has boosted Green Bay above them in the NFC North standings. They’ve gotten there, however, in much more convincing fashion than Green Bay, with every win this season coming by more than at least seven points. A short week for both teams could make this game a little bit closer, but Detroit has a lot of weapons on offense that a tough Green Bay defense will have to deal with.
For starters, there’s a two-pronged running attack with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, though as of late, Gibbs has gotten more of the snaps. Coming into Thursday, he’s third in the NFL in rushing yardage, and if he can get into the secondary, he’s especially dangerous. A solid run game also opens up the passing options for Jared Goff, who is 7-3 in his career against the Packers in his career. One of those passing options is wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who’s currently fourth in the NFL in receiving yards, thanks to plenty of deep shots from Goff when he gets the chance to expose a defense. All of that is aided by a typically aggressive mindset from head coach Dan Campbell. Expect Detroit to have the ball a lot on Thursday, and the Packers defense will have to contain what has looked like a well-oiled machine so far this year.
The Packers are an underdog as of Thursday morning, according to Potawatomi Sportsbook.
Where to watch the Packers vs. Lions
Sunday’s game kicks off at 12 p.m. Central. You can watch it locally on Fox. Many of Milwaukee’s many sports bars will be open to watch the game, and if you’re out of town, you’re in luck; there’s a Packers bar in every state (and beyond.)
Elsewhere in the NFC North
The division-leading Chicago Bears will play on Black Friday, when they head to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in a 2:00 p.m. matchup on Prime Video. They’ve won eight of their last nine, but should have some stiff competition on their hands. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings will travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks on Sunday afternoon. In that game, rookie quarterback Max Brosmer will make his first NFL start, with quarterbacks Carson Wentz on the IR and J.J. McCarthy in concussion protocol.
We’ll be thankful to get a win in Detroit on Thursday. Go Pack Go!
