5Q: Do Packers Have Enough to Limit 'Stud' St. Brown?

Previewing Thursday's Lions-Packers primetime showdown.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14). / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers are squaring off in a matchup that carries heavy playoff implications on Thursday.

Bill Huber is a Green Bay Packers beat reporter covering the team for Packers OnSI. He recently answered five questions from Lions OnSI to preview Thursday's game between the Lions and Packers.

1. The Packers haven't lost a game since playing Detroit at Lambeau Field in Week 9. What changes or factors have allowed them to have so much success in the weeks since their first meeting with Detroit? 

Bill Huber: The Packers won four in a row before facing Detroit and three in a row since losing to Detroit, so that’s seven wins in their last eight games.

You’re right, though, this is a much better team since they played last month. First and foremost, it’s the health of Jordan Love. Love suffered a groin injury in the win at Jacksonville and was unable to finish that game. He played hurt against the Lions, which is no excuse for how he played but the offense is different with a mobile quarterback who can’t be mobile.

The Packers had their bye after that game, so the week off helped Love to recuperate physically and, perhaps more importantly, reset mentally. That horrendous, up-for-grabs pick-six just before halftime marked his 10th interception of the season with at least one in each game. 

After the bye, the Packers beat the Bears. Love threw an interception in that game, too, but that was a wayward pass rather than a bad read, so you can deal with that one. He hasn’t thrown any interceptions the last two games. 

During the Packers’ three-game winning streak, Love has topped a 100 passer rating in all three and ranks second with a 120.8 rating. 

Along with being healthy, he’s reading defenses so much better and is showing more patience in the pocket. It helps that tight end Tucker Kraft and running back Josh Jacobs are premier YAC threats.

2. In the first meeting between these two teams, the elements played a big factor. With this game being played in a dome, in what ways might the Packers scheme to attack the Lions' defense?

Huber: Yeah, that was an embarrassment for the team. It’s one thing to lose to an elite team. It’s quite another to lose in so-called Packers weather to a team that plays its games indoors because you couldn’t handle the elements.

Maybe Brett Favre was the exception, but I think all high-quality quarterbacks would prefer to play their games indoors this time of year. As a quarterback, it’s great to not have to worry about the wind and for your throwing hand to not be numb. For the receivers, it’s great to run your routes with the confidence that you’re not going to slip and fall.

Christian Watson is a premier deep threat. Romeo Doubs is an elite route-runner. Jayden Reed is terrific after the catch because of his athleticism and shiftiness. Tight end Tucker Kraft is “an animal” after the catch, to use coach Matt LaFleur’s description.

Love and the Packers had a big game at Ford Field last year after losing at home to the Lions early in the season. There is a confidence they can do it again.

3. Detroit and Green Bay both feature some of the league's most exciting young talent at the running back and wide receiver positions. Who do you give the edge to at the skill positions in this game? 

Huber: At running back, I’ll take Detroit. 

Josh Jacobs is having a great year for the Packers. The 2022 NFL rushing champion had a dismal year for the Raiders in 2023, but he’s returned to form in Green Bay as a tackle-breaking workhorse. He really has changed the entire offense. Against Miami, Jacobs was stopped cold (pardon the pun) for the final three quarters but the Packers kept giving him the rock because that’s the team’s new offensive mindset.

But two is better than one. Emanuel Wilson is effective in limited opportunities and Chris Brooks is a stud in pass protection, but they’re not in the same league as Jahmyr Gibbs.

I’d probably take Green Bay’s receivers because of the depth. Amon-Ra St. Brown is a stud – how on earth was he a fourth-round draft pick? – but I don’t know that any team has enough defensive backs to cover all of Green Bay’s receivers.

Tight end is probably a push between Kraft and Sam LaPorta. They are high-end starters.

4. What are 1-2 key matchups to watch in Thursday's game?

Huber: For Green Bay’s offense, I’ll go back to the matchup I pointed to for the first meeting. I think Reed in the slot is a matchup that works in the Packers’ favor. He caught five passes for 113 yards in the first game, but has just eight receptions for 73 yards (but three touchdowns) during the three-game winning streak. 

Defensively – and this is probably the matchup for every team that plays Detroit – it starts in the trenches. Green Bay just turned in dominant performances against the run vs. San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey and Miami’s De’Von Achane. 

The Packers’ defensive front took care of business in those games; can they do it again against arguably the best offensive line in the game? It’s the most cliché thing ever to say the Packers need to stop the run to put Jared Goff into third-and-long, but it’s true.

5. Who wins and why? 

Huber: All things being equal, I’d pick the Lions every time. They are the best team in the NFL. But the one thing that’s not equal are the injury lists. The Lions have almost 20 players on injured reserve, including, as your readers know, some premier players on defense. 

The Packers’ offense is finding its groove and the Lions’ defense is finding players off the street to fill the holes. So, I’ll take the Packers in a shootout, 34-27.