By Blessing 
It doesn’t get more intense than this — the Green Bay Packers welcome the Detroit Lions to Lambeau Field in what’s essentially a playoff game before the playoffs. Both teams are on the brink, and only one could walk away with their postseason dreams still alive after Sunday.
For the Packers, the mission is simple: win and they’re in. For the Lions, the path is a little more complicated. They not only need to beat Green Bay, but also hope the Los Angeles Rams can pull off an upset over the Seattle Seahawks earlier in the day.
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The Stage Is Set
The Packers’ 2022 season has been a rollercoaster, filled with uncertainty, injuries, and stretches of poor play. But just when the outside world counted them out, Green Bay refused to fold. Now, Matt LaFleur’s squad controls its own destiny.
Last week, they looked like a team on a mission, steamrolling past the Minnesota Vikings — a hated division rival — with over 300 yards of offense for the fifth straight week. More importantly, they notched their fourth consecutive victory, peaking at the perfect time.
Defense has played a pivotal role in that resurgence. The Packers have held opponents under 21 points in each of their last four games. Even more impressive? They’ve tallied three interceptions in back-to-back contests, showing a knack for creating chaos when it matters most.
Last Sunday, they bottled up Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook, holding him to just 27 rushing yards. It was a standout effort in an otherwise shaky season against the run — Green Bay has given up over five yards per carry to opposing backs this year. Still, the arrow is pointing up.
On offense, the Packers avoided an interception for the first time since early December, while their ground game came alive, hammering Minnesota for 163 rushing yards. Aaron Jones led the charge with 111 of those, while AJ Dillon added a touchdown of his own.
At home, they’ve been solid — winning three of their last four at Lambeau and surrendering fewer than 20 points in their last two there. It’s a strong foundation heading into their biggest game of the year.
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Detroit’s Redemption Arc
For the Lions, meaningful football in January has been a rare sight. But Dan Campbell’s gritty squad has flipped the script. This team — once stuck in rebuild purgatory — now finds itself on the cusp of its first playoff berth since 2016.
How did they get here? Offense. Explosive, high-octane, foot-on-the-gas offense. Last week, Detroit lit up the stat sheet with over 500 total yards against the Bears — the second time they’ve crossed that threshold this season.
They’ve made a habit of torching defenses all year, averaging 27.1 points per game — the fifth-best mark in the NFL — and racking up 383.6 yards per contest, good for third in the league. They don’t just move the ball — they finish drives.
But as good as the offense has been, the defense has had trouble keeping pace. Campbell’s crew has struggled for consistency on that side of the ball. They’ve allowed 4.8 yards per carry to opposing backs and a league-worst eight yards per pass attempt.
Turnovers, however, have helped patch the holes. Detroit forced two against the Bears and has at least one takeaway in all but two games this season. It’s a bend-don’t-break formula — and so far, it’s been just good enough.
Offensively, they’ve excelled at staying ahead of the sticks, avoiding those tough second-and-long or third-and-long situations. For five straight games, they’ve averaged more than five yards per play — a recipe for sustainable success.
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Team News & Key Players
On the Packers’ side, Jaire Alexander made headlines for his performance against Justin Jefferson last week. While the stat sheet won’t show a monster game, the tape does — he held Jefferson to just one catch for 15 yards on five targets. It was arguably one of the best defensive jobs anyone’s done on the league’s top receiver this year.
Elsewhere, Darnell Savage, Jonathan Ford, and Adrian Amos each added an interception, while tight end Robert Tonyan hauled in the team’s lone touchdown reception. Aaron Rodgers threw for 159 yards — modest numbers — but he didn’t need to be a hero with the running game doing its part.
Injury-wise, there are concerns. Josiah Deguara is questionable with a calf injury, Keisean Nixon has been limited in practice due to a sore groin, and David Bakhtiari continues to manage discomfort in his knee and abdomen. Rudy Ford is also dealing with wrist and knee issues.
For the Lions, Jared Goff is peaking at the right time. Last week, he posted a 133.5 passer rating with three touchdowns, two of which went to tight end Brock Wright. Star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown hit the 100-reception milestone, and DJ Chark has quietly become a reliable deep threat, notching 55+ receiving yards in four of his last five outings.
On the ground, Jamaal Williams delivered a 144-yard performance with a score against Chicago, while the defense saw a spark from its young playmakers — Josh Paschal had two sacks, James Houston added three, and Aidan Hutchinson picked off a pass in a complete team effort.
Injury updates include DeShon Elliott (shoulder), Jason Cabinda (knee), and Frank Ragnow (foot) all being limited, while multiple players — Evan Brown, Michael Brockers, and Kayode Awosika — are questionable with ankle issues.
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Head-to-Head History
Green Bay holds a firm grip on the all-time series with a record of 105-74-7, though Detroit has had the upper hand recently, winning the last two meetings — including a 15-9 win earlier this season. In that matchup, Kerby Joseph intercepted Rodgers twice, and touchdowns from Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell powered the Lions to victory.
Still, Lambeau has not been kind to Detroit. The Packers have won three straight over the Lions at home, including a 2021 game where Aaron Jones scored four touchdowns and Davante Adams had 121 receiving yards.
They’ve even clashed in the postseason — back in the 1994 AFC Wild Card Round, the Packers edged out a 16-12 win behind a Dorsey Levens rushing score and two field goals from Chris Jacke.
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With everything on the line this Sunday, expect fireworks. Whether it’s the rise of a new contender or the return of a perennial playoff team, Packers vs. Lions promises to be one of the season’s defining moments.