THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL WEEK 4: DETROIT LIONS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS

BY ADAM GREENE

It’s our third Amazon Prime game and this one comes with some real playoff implications. Yes, we’re just four weeks into the season, but if you’ve paid attention to those three early weeks then you know that the Green Bay Packers are much better than most of us thought they’d be with Jordan Love and the Detroit Lions don’t quite seem ready to claim the NFC North mantle just yet. Either way, one of these teams is taking a major step to a division title when they meet up on Thursday Night Football.

This is one of the oldest rivalries in the sport, going all the way back to 1930. It won’t shock any of you, especially Lions fans, to know that Green Bay holds a significant edge in the all-time meetings, 105-75-7. Yes, they’ve had seven ties. How many times do you see that in a rivalry history?

Here’s where it gets interesting. Detroit has won the last three meetings between the two teams including a 20-16 victory in Week 18 last year that kept Green Bay out of the playoffs and would have put the Lions in if the Seattle Seahawks hadn’t won earlier in the day.

Jared Goff was 23 of 34 passing for 224 yards, no touchdowns and no picks in the win. Jamaal Williams (now with the New Orleans Saints) rushed 16 times for 72 yards and two TDs. D’Andre Swift (now with the Philadelphia Eagles) caught seven passes for 61 yards.

Aaron Rodgers (now on the New York Jets injured reserve) was 17 of 27 for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Aaron Jones had 12 rushes for 48 yards. Christian Watson caught five passes for 104 yards.

DETROIT LIONS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (+1.5, O/U: 46)

Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisc.

Broadcast: Prime Video

Kickoff: Sep. 28. 8:15 p.m.

DETROIT LIONS (2-1)

Detroit bounced back from a bad loss to the Seattle Seahawks with a thorough 20-6 beat down of the previously undefeated Atlanta Falcons last Sunday. Jared Goff was 22 of 33 passing for 243 yards, one touchdown and a pick. He was not sacked and scored a rushing TD. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed 17 times for 80 yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine passes for 102 yards. Sam LaPorta had eight grabs for 84 yards and a score. The defense sacked Desmond Ridder seven times, held the Falcons to just 44 yards on the ground and forced a turnover.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (2-1)

The Packers came back from a 17-point deficit, scoring 18 in the fourth quarter to claim an 18-17 victory over the previously undefeated New Orleans Saints. Jordan Love was 22 of 44 passing for 259 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He led the team with nine rushes for 39 yards and a TD and was sacked once. Romeo Dobbs caught five passes for 73 yards and a score. The defense sacked Derek Carr three times, knocked him out of the game, then sacked his back up Jameis Winston once. They held the Saints to a total of 77 yards on the ground.

THE PICK

I was as ready for the Lions to be good and to write the Packers off as much as anybody in the preseason, but reality matters to me. This game is at Lambeau and Green Bay is better than most of the books and punditry think. Packers 24, Lions 20

Last week

Straight up: 12-4

Against the spread: 11-5

Season

Straight up: 32-16

Against the spread: 27-21

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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