NFL Game of the Week: Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers

Thursday Night Football is upon us and we are looking at a fan-favorite divisional matchup.

The Detroit Lions are taking a trip to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers.

Both teams are 2-1 on the season, leading the NFC North as the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears are still searching for their first win.

The Packers played their first home game last week and pulled off an 18-17 comeback win against the New Orleans Saints after being down 17-0 at halftime.

Quarterback Jordan Love led the Packers to a big win over the Bears in Week 1 but fell to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 in a down-to-the-wire game.

Unlike the Packers, the Lions were able to pull out a win over the Falcons in Week 3. Detroit also pulled out a huge win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the very first game of the season.

The Lions suffered their only loss to the Seattle Seahawks in a Week 2 overtime battle.

The last time these two met, the Lions spoiled the Packers’ playoff hopes.

However, a lot has changed since then for both teams. For the Packers, the change is known nationwide, no Aaron Rodgers.

But the Packers seem to be adjusting just fine with Jordan Love as their starting quarterback.

After the big win last week, head coach Matt Lafluer had nothing but good things to say about Love.

"The leadership that he shows is unbelievable. I go down there before we take a drive, and he's talking to all the guys, encouraging everybody," LaFleur said. "Everybody in that locker room is going to fight for Jordan Love."

The Packers, who just last year were an experienced offense full of veterans, are now a much younger and inexperienced squad.

But this squad seems to be finding their groove and is making solid connections with Love, especially receivers Romeo Doubs, rookie Jayden Reed and rookie tight end Luke Musgraves.

The Packers are hopeful running back Aaron Jones and wide receiver Christian Watson return to play this week to give this offense the boost it needs.

Love hasn’t been playing outstandingly but he has been playing with ease. He looks comfortable on the field. But come Thursday night, Love will feel the pressure from Lions pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson who could significantly alter the outcome of this game.

Hutchinson is a defensive menace who will surely apply pressure and shake things up a little for Love. But the Packers have an overly reliable offensive line that should be able to protect Love for the most part.

Lions cornerback Cam Sutton is another key defensive weapon. Expect him to spend a lot of time on Doubs if Waston isn’t active.

We can also anticipate Lion’s rookie cornerback Brian Branch to match up against fellow rookie receiver Jaylen Reed.

The Lions have some offensive rookies of their own to keep an eye out for. Receiver Sam Laporta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs have given the Detroit Lions an extra offensive push to start the season.

The most important job for the Packers’ defense is to contain Lion’s wide receiver Amon-Ra St Brown who is arguably the most important player on Lion’s offense with 275 receiving yards on the season.

He would likely match up with Green Bay cornerback Jaire Alexander but Alexander remains questionable due to a back injury.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff looks up to par so far this season, he’s thrown for 819 yards, five touchdowns and has a 101.6 passer rating.

With the way these teams have been playing this one could truly go either way. Hopefully, both teams are close to healthy so injuries don’t play a factor in the outcome of this game.

The winner of this matchup will solidify an NFC North leader and start to set the tone for the rest of this season.

Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. at Lambeau Field.

Gia Sabatino is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email gms6168@psu.edu