The Detroit Lions (7–4) will welcome the Green Bay Packers (7–3–1) to Ford Field on Thanksgiving Day in a matchup packed with playoff consequences and long-term implications for the NFC North.

Detroit was completely out of sync during its season-opening loss at Lambeau Field. If the Lions hope to avoid being swept by their division rival—and keep their postseason goals intact—they need to flip the script in the rematch.

Below are three major storylines heading into the holiday showdown:

1. Can Jahmyr Gibbs maintain his elite pace after Green Bay stifled him in Week 1?

Gibbs enters this game riding the hottest stretch of his young career. Against the Giants, he delivered one of the best all-around performances the franchise has ever seen from a running back: 264 total yards and three touchdowns, including the overtime dagger.

Over the past three games with Dan Campbell handling offensive play-calling duties, Gibbs has racked up an unreal 582 yards from scrimmage—an average of nearly 200 per contest.

But none of that magic existed when he last faced the Packers. In Week 1, he was bottled up for just 19 rushing yards on nine attempts and set an unfortunate league record with the lowest yardage total ever on 10 receptions (31 yards).

Detroit’s offensive line has since ironed out the miscommunications that derailed that game, and the coaching staff is now leaning heavily on Gibbs as both a safety valve and primary weapon. Green Bay’s defense typically forces opposing offenses into underneath throws, which means Gibbs should be heavily involved once again.

He has evolved as a receiving threat too, hauling in 19 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns over the last three games. Quarterback Jared Goff expects to use him as a frequent outlet.

“He’s getting better with the route details, his hands are excellent, and he’s becoming a major option for us,” Goff said Sunday. “Honestly, I probably targeted him too much on a few of those sideline throws, but when you’re the quarterback, sometimes it’s about feeding the guy who’s locked in.”

2. What changes are the Lions making on offense after their Week 1 flop?

Patience and yards after the catch have become the two major points of emphasis.

Detroit totaled 126 YAC in the opener, with Sam LaPorta responsible for 49 of them. With LaPorta now on injured reserve and not expected to return, the Lions need more from their remaining playmakers.

Jameson Williams produced only eight YAC yards in that game, and Amon-Ra St. Brown had just six. The Lions know those numbers must improve.

Williams went without a catch last week, but St. Brown erupted again—nine grabs, 149 yards, a touchdown, and 54 YAC. That is closer to the standard Detroit needs.

Campbell stressed that Green Bay’s defensive scheme punishes teams that try to get greedy.

“The teams that struggle are the ones that lose patience and start forcing plays,” he said. “That’s when the turnovers come—fumbles, picks, sack-fumbles. You have to wait for your moment. And when you get the underneath stuff, you’ve got to turn it into something.”

Detroit already throws short at one of the highest rates in football, ranking last in the league in passes traveling more than 20 air yards (just 6.8%). Expect plenty more of that on Thanksgiving.

3. Can the defense bounce back after its roughest outing of the year?

The Lions are coming off their first game allowing a 300-yard passer this season, and now they face Jordan Love and a rapidly developing young receiving corps. Love has been dealing with injuries and hasn’t reached 200 passing yards in three straight weeks, but he was effective in the opener, needing only 16 completions and 188 yards to beat Detroit.

Christian Watson’s return gives Green Bay a vertical jump-ball threat the Lions didn’t have to deal with in Week 1.

Detroit’s secondary is slowly getting healthier. D.J. Reed made his return last week and played well. Rookie Terrion Arnold is still in concussion protocol but may be cleared in time for Thursday. The Lions experimented with various rotations against the Giants, and while it was chaotic early, the group settled in late.

Amik Robertson played both inside and outside, but with Arthur Maulet now waived, Robertson could return to nickel duties if Reed—and possibly Arnold—are ready. That would restore Detroit’s original three-man cornerback rotation, with Rock Ya-Sin available if Arnold isn’t cleared.

Safety Kerby Joseph still hasn’t practiced, so the Lions might be without their All-Pro defensive back for a sixth straight game. Thomas Harper has filled in reasonably well, highlighted by an interception last week, though he has had some rough moments.

Detroit’s defense struggled against gadget plays and deep heaves from Jameis Winston in the overtime win, logging its worst statistical performance of the year. But Reed’s presence helped stabilize things—he allowed just one catch on three targets. Ya-Sin didn’t allow a single completion in his 70 snaps. Robertson, however, had a difficult outing, surrendering eight receptions for 99 yards while shifting roles.

Getting players back into more defined positions should help this group regain its footing.