The Packers return to Detroit a year after surprisingly making it to the playoffs

GREEN BAY – Cell phones were the only reminder that it was game day in the NFL as the Green Bay Packers opened their locker room on Sunday. Players returned from the showers to change and played games from around the league on their phones.

They had just left the practice field when the Minnesota Vikings did what they had done most of this season: beat the Arizona Cardinals by a single point in a game in which they didn’t play well. With no opponent this Sunday, Packers players watched as the Vikings became the NFC North’s second team to reach 10 wins.

The Packers hope to finish third when they travel to the Detroit Lions, who are currently 11-1 and atop the division. It’s an opportunity to continue what began almost exactly a year ago, when they traveled to Detroit on Thanksgiving and left with an upset victory that served as a springboard for everything that followed.

“I think last year we knew what kind of team we had,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “Obviously we hadn’t played to our best and lost some close games. But being able to play in this obviously hostile environment against a team we had already lost to – a really good team – definitely gave us some confidence going forward.”

A year ago, the Packers were a team full of potential but in need of a standout performance to back up their expectations. They traveled to Detroit with a record of 4-6, on the verge of playoff contention. “It feels like we’re all fighting for our lives,” center Josh Myers said. “Crazy, one year makes a difference.” At 9-3 this season, the Packers have matched their regular season win total from 2023.

It’s possible that without their 29-22 win in Detroit last season, the Packers could still get here and be one of the NFC’s best teams in Love’s second season as a starter. But every run needs a starting point. A week after Detroit, the Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field. They finished the season three points shy of an NFC Championship Game appearance.

They are no surprise to anyone now.

“I don’t think too many people on this team are surprised that we’re here,” Myers said. “I think we knew what kind of team we had and it was just a matter of executing it. Get out there and do it. We are starting to work better and at a higher level than before.”

The Packers would finish at the top of the table with nine wins in four of the NFL’s other seven divisions. (The exceptions are the AFC West, where the Chiefs lead with a record of 11-1; the AFC East, where the Bills are 10-2; and the NFC East, where the Eagles lead at 10-2.) They could have a two-game lead in the NFC West, a three-game lead in the NFC South. But this is the stacked NFC North, which for the first time since the NFL merger in 1970 features three teams with at least nine wins through the first 13 weeks.

Instead, the Packers enter Ford Field on Thursday third in their division. Securing one of the NFC’s seven playoff spots seems inevitable. The question is whether they can compete for a possible division title. A win on Thursday keeps them in the hunt.

A loss might as well end their NFC North hopes.

“I think it’s just a tribute to the toughness of the North,” tight end Tucker Kraft said. “Teams up north, I guess we just play tough football. We’re trying to win our division and get the bye in the first round.”

The Vikings held their serve on Sunday. The Packers and Lions will look to continue their own momentum in three days.

No one is fighting for their life – life is good in the NFC penthouse – but for the second year in a row, there will be a lot on the line in Detroit.

“Momentum definitely plays a big role,” Love said. “We’re on a bit of a winning streak, so we want to keep that going. There’s definitely a good mood in the locker room at the moment. Whether we are on a winning streak or a losing streak, we know what type of game it is. It’s an NFC North game and we’re currently 1-2 in the NFC North, so we still have a lot of catching up to do. So we’re ready to go.”

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