The Packers believe they have the ideal counterpunch for Detroit’s most dangerous offensive piece — and they’ll need it in a divisional matchup with real NFC North stakes. At 7–3–1, Green Bay heads into its 22nd Thanksgiving showdown with the 7–4 Lions knowing this meeting could heavily influence the stretch run of the season.

While quarterbacks and flashy skill guys typically steal the spotlight, Green Bay’s most pivotal figure on Thursday might be second-year linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. Detroit’s offense thrives on spacing concepts, eye-candy movement, and forcing linebackers into hesitation. Cooper’s burst, range, and ability to close space make him the defender who could tilt the matchup.

No Detroit player stress-tests a defense more than Jahmyr Gibbs. He’s a lightning-fast accelerator who erases angles, dominates in open grass, and forces defenses to adjust their structure whenever he aligns outside the formation. Simply put, he changes how opponents have to line up before the snap.

Why Edgerrin Cooper matters so much to slowing Gibbs — again

This is exactly where Cooper becomes essential. Green Bay needs him to eliminate space before it opens, funneling Gibbs back toward interior help rather than letting him win the edge. Detroit will challenge the perimeter with toss plays, wide-zone runs, and motion-heavy misdirection, but Cooper has the rare sideline range to meet Gibbs at spots most linebackers can’t reach. And it’s not just speed — it’s angle discipline, forcing Gibbs to redirect instead of exploding into daylight.

But Cooper’s influence won’t be limited to run defense.

His biggest impact may come in coverage

Detroit’s passing game leans heavily on intermediate traffic: crossers, layered concepts, and play-action that manipulate linebackers. Even with Sam LaPorta sidelined, Jared Goff still relies on timing and rhythm between the numbers. Cooper’s job is to gain the right depth, stay patient on routes that develop across the field, and erase the space Detroit uses to create easy completions. When he’s sound in his drops, the Lions’ intermediate attack shrinks — and Goff often becomes noticeably less comfortable.

For Green Bay to knock Detroit off schedule, it must make Gibbs fight for yards and force Goff off his first read. That means relying on one defender who’s athletic enough to handle both duties without coming off the field — and Cooper fits that role perfectly.