The Packers walked into Detroit and beat the Lions using the very style Detroit prides itself on. The stat sheet was nearly a mirror image — same number of plays, almost identical yardage, zero turnovers for either side. The difference-maker? Green Bay went a perfect three-for-three on fourth down, while the usually ultra-aggressive Lions missed both of their attempts.
That was the deciding factor. The Packers marched into Ford Field on Thanksgiving and out-Campbelled Dan Campbell — and if your meal tasted better than usual, you weren’t alone.
Detroit has now dropped nine of its last ten Thanksgiving games. Jordan Love, meanwhile, moved to 3–0 on the holiday after an outstanding showing: pushing the ball downfield, keeping it safe, and firing precision throws whenever the offense needed them.
The headline of the afternoon was Green Bay’s success on its trio of gutsy fourth-down tries. Anyone complaining lately about Matt LaFleur being too conservative probably went quiet for a bit.
The first conversion came on a tight end-zone strike to Dontayvion Wicks, who secured the ball and tapped his feet by inches. Next was a dart to Romeo Doubs for a touchdown — a play that followed an enormous break when officials granted a timeout despite a false start by Anthony Belton. And the final one sealed the game. Analytics said the Packers could reasonably punt or go for it; LaFleur chose aggression. Full credit for that.
I love seeing that mindset — trusting the offense, embracing pressure moments, letting Love stay composed and in control. Wicks stepping up was huge, too. If this is a turning point for him, and with Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden expected back soon, the offense could take another leap.
Defensively, the Packers were steady all game. They smothered Detroit early, limited Jahmyr Gibbs to 3.8 yards per rush, erased him in the passing game, and then leaned on Micah Parsons to close it out. Parsons added 2.5 more sacks, making him the first player ever with 12+ sacks in each of his first five seasons.
The downside: losing Devonte Wyatt for the year after major ankle ligament damage. His absence is enormous. The defense has noticeably improved since he returned a couple weeks ago, so now players like Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, and Warren Brinson will have to shoulder a bigger load.
Still, the positives overshadow the setback. Love is unbeaten on Thanksgiving with a 126 passer rating. Christian Watson is taking over as the No. 1 receiver. Reed and Golden will soon return and add firepower. Josh Jacobs nearly hit five yards per carry behind an offensive line that’s finally generating space. Even special teams avoided any disasters for a second straight week — which qualifies as progress.
By sweeping Detroit, Green Bay reshaped the NFC North picture. Assuming the Eagles win Friday afternoon, the Packers will face the Bears next week sitting at the top of the division. Big picture: win three of their last five, and a playoff spot is nearly guaranteed.
Heading into Friday, they had a 73% chance to win the North — a number that rises if Chicago loses on Black Friday. And get this: the Packers are now tied with Seattle for the fourth-best Super Bowl odds, trailing only the Rams, Eagles, and Colts.
Up next is a Bears team that looks much better on the surface than under the hood. At 8–3, they sit 22nd in DVOA — the lowest rating ever recorded for a team with that record. New coach Ben Johnson joked upon being hired that he enjoyed beating LaFleur twice a year, joining a long tradition of Chicago coaches talking big about ending the Packers’ dominance.
Go ahead and try, Ben. Love and a surging Green Bay squad will be waiting next Sunday at 3:25.
