The first NFC North test of the season arrives Sunday at Ford Field, and the focus is already squarely on Jordan Love.
Detroit’s defense heads into the matchup with a little more belief after a better showing last week against the Arizona Cardinals and the return of All-Pro safety Brian Branch to the secondary. That still leaves plenty of uncertainty, because Love has been a different quarterback depending on the version the Lions get.
He has not thrown an interception against Detroit in his last three starts. One of those came in 2024, when he was 23-for-39 for 273 yards with no touchdowns, one interception and three fumbles, though he recovered two of them. In the three meetings since, he has gone 46-for-72 for 628 yards, seven touchdowns and no picks.
Six Free Press sports writers weighed in on whether the Lions can open division play at 1-0.
Dave Birkett sees a tight game, and thinks Detroit gets enough from Amon-Ra St. Brown and Branch to hold off Green Bay.
He called the NFC North a division where the best team is still hard to separate from the rest, but said the Lions should learn more after these next two games. His pick: Lions 28, Packers 24.
Carlos Monarrez framed it as a matchup between Jared Goff’s turnover-free stretch and the Packers’ knack for forcing mistakes, led by Xavier McKinney. He pointed to Detroit’s home-field edge and the expected return of key players, but said Green Bay’s current form and stronger resume tilt the game the other way. His pick: Packers 31, Lions 27.
Christian Romo expects Love to push the ball downfield and make the Ford Field crowd sweat. He wrote that Detroit’s offense will do enough to stay in the game, but Goff’s run without a turnover will end, and Green Bay will use an extra possession in the fourth quarter to separate. His pick: Packers 31, Lions 27.
Rainer Sabin leaned into last season’s sweep by Green Bay, when Love threw six touchdown passes and no interceptions in the Packers’ two wins. But he also pointed to the difference this time: Detroit leads the NFL in sacks and averages more quarterback hits per game than any other team.
In Sabin’s view, the Lions can get to Love and win because of it. His pick: Lions 27, Packers 24.
Jeff Seidel’s takeaway started with what Love did to the Bears two weeks ago, and he wondered if Detroit’s defense can really handle that kind of attack. He said Branch should help, but questioned how much he’ll play and whether rust will show.
Even with the Lions trying to outscore Green Bay, he doesn’t see it being enough. His pick: Packers 35, Lions 31.
Shawn Windsor said the Lions’ path to snapping the recent Green Bay run has more to do with talent than revenge, especially up front. He pointed back to a rough showing by the offensive line in the season opener a year ago at Lambeau Field, then said that kind of thing won’t happen Sunday.
In his view, Detroit stays in the division race. His pick: Lions 29, Packers 27.
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