What a wonderful Thanksgiving. From watching the Bears sh*t their pants in historic fashion (OK, I agree, it would have been nice if they won, but still...) to the way in which the Packers dominated a very-good-lately Dolphins team, it was a great day all around and I hope it was for you too. But now we must throw out the Thanksgiving leftovers, of which there are plenty, and take a quick ride over Lake Michigan to my hometown of Detroit for a huge game coming tomorrow night.

So let's hit the treadmill and burn off some holiday calories, raise up the ol 'Scope and look at the past, present and future of the Packers and the Motor City Kitties.

The Past

All-time, the Packers maintain a hefty edge at 106-77-7, with the Lions owning the series of late, taking 5 of the last 6 including 3 straight at Lambeau. This obviously includes the season's earlier matchup, a 24-14 self-inflicted disappointment of a football game in the rain.

What's interesting about the series, though, is that it's had a few runs lately. Prior to the Lions' 5 outta 6, the Packers won 5 in a row from 2019-2021. Prior to that, it was the Lions winning a few, hitting 4 straight in 2017 and 2018. And even going back again, the Packers won 4 of 5 from 2014-2017. It's an interesting quirk for a series that you'd think the Packers have dominated throughout history, especially in the last 10 years, but that's not the case.

For this week's look-back, I'm going to a particular Thursday Night game in December of 2015. It was a game where the 7-4 Packers visited the 4-7 Lions in the earliest days of Thursday Night Football, and a game that, going into it, sure felt like a Lions upset opportunity. Going into the game, the Packers had lost 4 of 5 games, including one of those to these same Lions at Lambeau Field. Backed by a lot of firepower with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, this one just didn't feel great. And I recall that as a fan in the stands on this evening.

The game started off exactly how I'd hoped it wouldn't. After a Matt Prater field goal and Packers offensive ineptitude, Stafford found Eric Ebron from 3 yards out, then Calvin Johnson from 17 for a quick and painful 17-0 lead. The blood bath was on. After a scoreless second quarter that included a Mason Crosby doinked field goal and 17-0 Lions lead, the straits indeed felt dire. 

In the third, they even more so after another Prater field goal pushed the lead out to 20-0. But then the Packers found some footing, pushing the ball into the red zone. But James Starks fumbled on a run, with the ball skittering into the end zone to be luckily recovered by Randall Cobb for the team's first touchdown, cutting it to 20-7. After forcing a Lions fumble, Rodgers found Davante Adams from 8 yards out and suddenly, miraculously, the Packers were back in it.

In the fourth, the Lions extended the lead to two possessions on yet another Prater kick and 23-14 lead. With time waning, Rodgers was able to run to the corner of the end zone from 17 yards out, cutting the lead to just two points. The Packers would get a stop, but only after the Lions earned a critical third-and-long chewing time off the clock. With only seconds remaining, a facemask penalty called against Rodgers gave one more down.

Navigating the pocket, setting his feet and uncorking an absolute BOMB, Richard Rodgers high-pointed the ball for the improbably Hail Mary win and all-time vintage moment from Aaron Rodgers. Truly, a moment I'll never forget and one I'm so thankful I stayed in my seat for. I have my Lions fan friends to thank for that, who wanted to celebrate their "win" until the bitter end.

The Present

This is the game of the year for the Green Bay Packers, no doubt about it. And one that won't only keep them in the NFC North race, but prove they can beat anyone anywhere. While this Lions team is surely a juggernaut, they're extremely injured, even beyond the loss of Aidan Hutchinson weeks ago. They're expected to be down multiple starting defensive linemen and linebacker will be a tough spot as well. Offensively, left tackle Taylor Decker is expected to miss as well. This is as good of an opportunity as the Packers will get to win a game at Ford Field this year.

What's worked well for the Packers of late, as we've witnessed, is protecting the football and running it at will with Josh Jacobs. This recipe is key against a decimated Lions front 7, and really, the recipe to beat them even if they were healthy. Josh Jacobs is running as good as anyone, and he's helped the Packers create their new, much tougher, mentality. Menwhile, Jordan Love has avoided interceptions in the last two games, so extending this streak will be part of a winning formula. 

As for the Packers defense, it remains to be seen if Jaire Alexander will be back, but it's promising that he's practiced all week. Same goes for Romeo Doubs, who remains in the concussion protocol. In all, the Packers seem to be relatively healthy, it's just a matter of if the guys who practiced limited this week are close enough to 100%. 

What will be a certainty, though, is the noise at Ford Field. It's maybe the best homefield advantage in football right now, and something the Packers will have to absorb and avoid pre-snap penalties. Noon on Thanksgiving won't have the same buzz as primetime on Thursday Night. It'll be a different animal.

The Future

7:15 PM Lambeau Time, Ford Field in Detroit. A visit to a stadium that's been the location of some huge wins and some brutal losses. In all, visiting Detroit - either Ford Field or the Silverdome - has always been a trouble spot for the Packers. But this Packers team seems to be ramping up as it did last year to play its best ball when it matters. It's December now. It's big boy football time. It's Josh-Jacobs-In-Your-Face time.

I expect the Packers to stick with the run-first mentality and control the clock. The Lions can kill you in so many ways offensively, it's imperative to keep them off the field. Three-and-outs for the Packers cannot happen. On the flip side, keeping up the aggression and ball hawking on defense will go a long way. Jared Goff is a quarterback who can be pressured, but the Lions also have a strong run-first mentality and they'll be using their two stud backs in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs aplenty.

This is a huge game and it's so much fun to be a part of it in maybe the most critical of months of football. Here's to the Pack making up for the previous game and coming out sharp, physical and aggressive Thursday night.