The Detroit Lions play their first NFC North game of the season on Sunday, October 25, when the Green Bay Packers visit Ford Field at 4:25 p.m. EDT. Detroit is 3-2 and rested after its Week 6 bye; Green Bay is 4-2 and has won three straight, most recently 23-13 over Dallas on Sunday night.
The matchup sets one of the league’s best offenses against a defense that has turned its season around. The Lions are scoring 32.8 points a game and have not thrown an interception, but they are also allowing 29.6. The Packers allowed 91 points in their first three games and only 34 in the three since. Detroit gets safety Brian Branch and center Cade Mays back this week, and Green Bay has won the last two meetings.
Below, the game in six chapters: the two records, Detroit’s scoring, its leaky defense, Green Bay’s defensive turn, the passing games side by side and the series. Follow it live in the Packers-Lions Game Center.
The Lions in the huddle at Ford Field, November 2020. Photo by All-Pro Reels, CC-BY-SA-2.0, resized.Packers at Lions: the NFC North opener, by the numbers
The Lions in the huddle at Ford Field, November 2020. Photo by All-Pro Reels, CC-BY-SA-2.0, resized.Two teams, two directions
Detroit comes out of its Week 6 bye at 3-2 and has not won two games in a row this season. Green Bay arrives at 4-2 after three straight wins.
Sunday is the Lions’ first NFC North game of the year. The Packers have already split two: a 39-22 loss at Minnesota in Week 1 and a 31-7 win over Chicago in Week 5.
- Lions beat the Saints 31-30 in overtime · Packers lose 39-22 at Minnesota
- Lions beat the Jets 31-24 · Packers lose 35-14 to Atlanta
- Lions win 45-21 at Arizona · Packers beat Chicago 31-7
- Lions on bye · Packers beat Dallas 23-13
Detroit scores like few others
The Lions have 164 points in five games, 32.8 a game. Only Buffalo, at 197 points in six games, is scoring at a higher rate, and only by a fraction of a point.
Detroit has scored at least 26 points every week, topped by the 45 it put up at Arizona, when Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 151 yards.
Lions points by game
And gives up almost as much
The other side of the ledger is the problem. Detroit has allowed 148 points, 29.6 a game, and conceded 30 or more in three of its five games, both of its losses included.
No other NFC North team is close. Minnesota allows 12.8 points a game, Chicago 20.4 and Green Bay 20.8.
Points allowed per game, NFC North
The help arrives this week. Safety Brian Branch, back from a torn Achilles tendon, and center Cade Mays were activated on Saturday and are set to play for the first time this season.
Green Bay’s defense found itself
The Packers gave up 91 points in their first three games, 30.3 a game. In the three games since, they have allowed 34, or 11.3 a game, and no opponent has reached 15.
The Week 6 win over Dallas was built on it: Green Bay led 17-0 at halftime and picked off Dak Prescott twice, once by Evan Williams and once by the rookie Brandon Cisse.
Points allowed by Green Bay
The Lions in the huddle at Ford Field, November 2020. Photo by All-Pro Reels, CC-BY-SA-2.0, resized.The quarterbacks, side by side
Detroit’s passing game has thrown 191 times without an interception, the only offense in the league still at zero. It completes 67.0 percent of its throws for 7.8 yards an attempt.
Green Bay throws more and completes less: 1,684 yards on 226 attempts, a 59.7 percent completion rate and four interceptions. Against Dallas, Jordan Love threw for 276 yards and found Matthew Golden for 104.
Passing yards
Yards per attempt
A rivalry Green Bay has owned
Since 1999, Green Bay leads the series 36-18, and it has won the last two meetings, most recently 31-24 in 2025.
Kickoff at Ford Field is 4:25 p.m. EDT on Sunday, October 25. After it, the Packers host Carolina on Thursday night and the Lions host 5-0 Minnesota on November 1.
- Packers at Lions, Ford Field
- Panthers at Packers
- Vikings at Lions
Detroit’s offense has not had a bad week yet; its defense has not had a good stretch. Green Bay is the reverse of last month’s team. One of those trends gives on Sunday afternoon, and the Packers-Lions Game Center follows it live.
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