GREEN BAY — Wherever Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson got his whole over-the-top schtick when it comes to his team’s rivalry with the Green Bay Packers — you know, taking shots at Matt LaFleur in his introductory press conference, or screaming “[Expletive] the Packers! [Expletive] them!” in a postgame victory speech — he didn’t get it from his former boss.
Oh, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is a character, now. But he’s a deeper thinker than his biting-kneecaps persona suggests, and the way he spoke with his team’s local media corps leading into Sunday’s pivotal NFC North matchup between the Packers (4-2) and Lions (3-2) at Ford Field in Detroit.
For while Campbell understands the importance of winning your division games — the Lions went 2-4 in the NFC North last season, finishing last at9-8 — he apparently has decided that it can be done with respect for the other teams in the division.
“Look, division games are big, man. You talk about wanting to win a division, you have got to win division games,” Campbell said early in the week. (Oddly enough, Johnson and the Bears managed to win the NFC North despite going 2-4 in division games themselves.) “That’s something we weren’t able to do last year. That’s why those are important. They’re really a game and a half if you want to look at it a certain way.
“But look, [the Packers] are playing good football. They have got good players, they’ve got good coaches. And so I respect that, man. This is a tough division. Inevitably, it’s about the players out on the field and them making the plays. They’re the ones who you just prepare them the best that you can and then you cut them loose. And it’s up to them, man, to make it right.
“That’s what I believe in, man.”
If that sounded familiar, it should. LaFleur took a similar tack two weeks ago in advance of the Packers’ 31-7 win over Johnson and his Bears, emphasizing the same theme.
So while both coaches know this is a critical game for their teams’ season-long goals, they apparently won’t add to it with a war of words.
“Their style of play, it’s all over the tape. These guys play hard, they rush hard, they hit you hard. … It’s always a challenge going there, and we know that they’ll be ready for us,” LaFleur said, adding, “We know we have an NFC rival that is a really good football team and we gotta play our best in order to go on the road and get a win.”
Here are three aspects of the Packers-Lions matchup worth keeping an eye on:
1️⃣ LESSON LEARNED?
The last time the Packers faced an elite running back was in Week 3, when Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson ran over, around and through the Green Bay defense on his way to 194 yards sand two touchdowns in the Falcons’ thorough 35-14 win.
So, are there any lessons the Packers can take from that experience into this matchup with the Lions’ star running back, Jahmyr Gibbs?
“Sure,” LaFleur replied. “Lessons on what not to do.”
In truth, the Packers defense has historically fared well — compared to other NFL defenses, at least — against Gibbs.
“He’s got elite change-of-direction skills, he can stick his foot in the ground, bounce one way, but he’s also got elite home-run speed, and then he’s also a factor out of the backfield,” LaFleur said. “Shoot, he could go probably line up at slot receiver for most teams. I just think he’s a really dynamic player in this league.’
Nevertheless, the Packers have limited him in his six career games against them. In those games, Gibbs has carried 74 times for 289 yards and only one touchdown — an average of 3.91 yards per attempt and 48.2 yards per game.
“I think the [entire] offense runs through him, to be honest with you. I think he’s the motor in that offense,” Packers nickelback Javon Bullard said of Gibbs, who comes into the game ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing (105 carries for 504 yards and seven touchdowns). “When you have a guy that dynamic in the backfield and who could also affect in the pass game, it’s unique.”
And how can the Packers neutralize him?
“You’ve got to contain. You’ve got to get all 11 hats to the ball. Got to play as a team. Everybody’s got to do their job,” Bullard replied. “If you’re supposed to set the edge, set the edge. If you’re supposed to be in the B gap, be in the B gap. Just trusting everybody to do their job. I don’t think we did that versus the Falcons, so we’ve got to do that this week.”
That task became harder when the Packers lost veteran linebacker Zaire Franklin, their defensive signal-caller and co-captain, to a shin injury he sustained in a collision with a teammate during Thursday’s practice.
On the flip side, they did get defensive tackle Jordon Riley, who suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles’ last year but was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Saturday to bolster the interior defensive line.
“The last time we played a premium back, it wasn’t too great, and we were not proud of the performance that we put out there,” safety Xavier McKinney said. “Obviously, we know it’s going to be a challenge, but it’s going to be huge for us as far as just trying to keep him from making that big impact on the game.”
2️⃣ PICK PARADE?
The Packers entered Week 7’s games leading the NFL in interceptions with nine — more than they had all of last season — after safety Evan Williams and rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse picked off Dallas’ Dak Prescott last week.
But file this under the something’s-got-to-give category: While the Packers have been the best in the league at intercepting opposing quarterbacks, Lions quarterback Jared Goff has been the best at avoiding INTs. He’s yet to throw one in 191 pass attempts.
“He’s done an unbelievable job,” said LaFleur, who coached Goff with the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. “To not throw an interception all season long, five games in for them, is pretty impressive. If you give him a sliver of light, he’s going to thread the needle. He does such a good job getting the ball out of his hands. Obviously, he’s got a lot of trust in his wideouts, his tight ends … and he’s just playing really good football.”
McKinney leads the Packers with three INTs, followed by Williams with two. Bullard should have had one against the Cowboys but settled for a break-up — and had to endure ribbing from his fellow safeties for not reeling in the ball.
“We’ve got a lot of respect for Jared. He’s done it time in and time out throughout this league,” Bullard said. “[But] anytime we can get the ball back in Jordan Love’s hands, we’ve got a high chance of winning the game. So that’s our whole goal as a defense, man. Get the ball back to ‘10,’ take the ball away, no matter what. That’s our whole motive, man.
“Those guys have a lot of weapons on the offensive end, but we like ourselves. We have a lot of confidence. We’re playing with a lot of swag right now. We’re being greedy, and I think we need to continue to be greedy. And we’re going to like our results in the end.”
3️⃣ MATCHING WITS.
When Jonathan Gannon addresses reporters during his weekly Q&A sessions on Tuesdays, he leaves the defensive planning meeting to do so. And when he did this week, he raved about the guy he’ll be matching wits with: Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who worked with him with the Minnesota Vikings (2014-’17) and was Gannon’s offensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals (2023-’25) when Gannon was the head coach.
“It’s a really good offense. I mean, I just left the meeting, and there’s no tendencies,” Gannon said. “He’s creative as all get out. He uses his playmakers in a way to showcase their talents. The quarterback does an excellent job of getting them in the right place to put you as a defense at a disadvantage. When you want to be aggressive, he burns you. When you want to be safe, he burns you. So we’ve got a big-time challenge.”
Entering Sunday’s games, the Lions offense is tied for No. 1 in the 32-team NFL in scoring offense (32.8 points per game), fourth total yards (393.8 per game), and tied for third in red-zone efficiency (a 77.27% touchdown rate).
The Packers defense is 10th in scoring defense (20.8 points per game) and eighth in total defense (307.7 yards per game).
“He’s an unbelievable coach. I have a ton of respect for him as a coach, as a person,” Petzing said. “They play really hard. They run to the ball. They’re violent. They’re tough.”
And who has the edge given how well they know each other?
“There’s a piece of it that helps [us],” Goff said. “There’s also that game theory part of it. He knows what I know, and I know what he knows. So, there’s that back and forth a little bit. Plus, it’s ultimately about the players. It comes down to the roster and how you utilize those guys.”
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