Lions vs. Packers preview: 3 key matchups

The Detroit Lions (3-2) will have an opportunity to reestablish themselves in the NFC North in both Week 7 and Week 8 as the Green Bay Packers (4-2) and the Minnesota Vikings (5-0) travel to Ford Field.

This is not a situation most Lions fans are very familiar with. In my lifetime, the storyline with these types of divisional games was whether the Lions could finally establish themselves as true division contenders. But never to reestablish as one.

Just take the 2025 NFC North standings in for a moment.

Look at them again.

I’ve seen the Lions at the bottom far too often in my 34 years. After getting the taste of what it was like at the top in 2023 and 2024, it felt like last place would never be the case again as long as Dan Campbell was leading the Lions. Unfortunately, it happened.

Oh, and look. It could happen again because this division is the best in football. It’s not slowing down. The race is on.

Brian Flores and the Vikings defense is not waiting for the Lions young offensive line to gel before it comes to Detroit.

Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears are not waiting for the Lions young defensive coordinator to find his footing while seeking to repeat as division champs.

Matt LaFleur and the Packers are not waiting to the Lions secondary to solve its problems before attacking it with deep shot after deep shot.

No, the Lions are at the bottom. Feel it. Breathe it in. Remember the decades at the bottom.

In a way, it feels like this is truly the first game of the season. This is how it was always meant to be. Don’t get me wrong, the 2023 and 2024 teams are without question the best and most memorable seasons of my Lions fandom. But the story of Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions was always meant to overcome adversity. To get kicked in the teeth. To get knocked down. But before long, they are going to be the last ones standing.

Three key matchups. Three opportunity to reestablish.

Ford Field vs. Packers’ offense

Green Bay comes into Ford Field ranking 29th in presnap penalties with 22 on the season. The key matchup here is the Lions fans at Ford Field against the Packers’ discipline before the snap.

Of course, presnap penalties are drive killer for most any NFL offense. But that is amplified for the Packers who have no running game and are last last in rushing yards per game (59.8), yards per carry (2.9), and rush EPA (-0.299). Playing behind the sticks making the Packers even more one-dimensional would be extremely valuable for a Lions’ secondary that could use all the help it could get, especially with rookie Keith Abney likely to play often at the safety position.

In 2025, the Lions were the beneficiary on only 18 false start penalties, tied for 22nd in the NFL. To go with the 5-3 record on the season, Ford Field was hardly the home field advantage that it had been in the years prior.

Sunday is an opportunity to reestablish Ford Field as being one of the most difficult environments for opposing teams to play in.

Let me just drop this in here one more time.

Kelvin Sheppard vs. poison picked

The second key matchup was highlighted well by Jeremy Reisman’s question to defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard asking how do does he decide on your poison in a matchup that presents both deep and over-the-middle weapons?

“That is the coach’s job to make sure that we understand the down and distancing, the tendencies and things like that. What have we seen? And obviously each game things change. You prepare. These coaches are good in this league and they self-scout as well.”

The Green Bay Packers’ deep passing attack is a bit of a paper tiger with some interesting situational tendencies, but nevertheless, it must be respected out of the sheer frequency they attempt it. Last week against the Arizona Cardinals, Sheppard rolled out a unique solution by bracket covering both Trey McBride and Michael Wilson.

It won’t be that simple this week as the Packers have two deep threats in wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, as well as tight end Tucker Kraft. With the return of safety Brian Branch, Sheppard has the flexibility to pick his poison by game script, down-and-distance, and personnel groupings to put the defense in the best position for success.

Branch’s return to the field is an opportunity for the Lions secondary to reestablish itself, and it could not have come at a more critical time.

Cade Mays vs. Jonathan Gannon

Lastly, the third key matchup is Lions’ center Cade Mays vs. Packers’ defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Mays is set to make his Detroit Lions debut with his first start of the season.

Gannon is in his first season as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator and so far he has made some significant adjustments to his normal defensive philosophy. As discussed in “The Athletic Football Show” clip below, Gannon is dialing up blitzes of 6+ rushing defenders at 2-3 times the rate as he had in either Arizona or Philadelphia.

It will be critical for Mays and Jared Goff to be on the same page regarding blitz recognition and communication. If successful, it is very likely the Lions offense reaches 30+ points scored against. Consider this Mays’ introduction by fire to the blitz-heavy NFC North, wherein all three of the Vikings (1st, 66.7%), Bears (5th, 39.6%), and (Packers (10th, 32.1%) are in the top ten in the NFL in blitz rate, according to Sumer Sports.

Mays has the opportunity to reestablish the Lions offensive line as one of the most intelligent and powerful units in the NFL since the retirement of Frank Ragnow.

These are the matchups. These are the opportunities for the Lions to reestablish as the class of the NFC North once again.