DETROIT – During a friendly banter with Amon-Ra St. Brown and his brother Equanimeous in October, Jayden Reed sent a warning to the All-Pro wideout before the Lions-Packers game Dec. 5 at Ford Field.

“Wait until I get to Detroit.”

Reed promised the St. Brown brothers on their self-titled podcast that he would perform the “Blade Dance,” popularized by the late Detroit rapper Blade Icewood, as his touchdown celebration in the divisional showdown.

Familiar with Michigan State from his college days in East Lansing and the rap scene in Detroit, Reed knows that an opponent or underdog doing this dance as a touchdown celebration against the Lions is often perceived as disrespectful to themselves if it is intended as a homage.

Well, that didn’t happen. Instead, Reed played no role in the Lions’ 34-31 win over the Packers on Thursday.

“They have a competitive group, just like us,” Reed told MLive after the game. “We knew it would be a dogfight until the final whistle. your competitiveness; She does that well.

“It’s always great to come back (to Michigan) and play a team like Detroit. They have a good team there.”

While the Lions gave up 31 points, their defense performed well given the circumstances. With 13 players on injured reserve, rookies including Pro Bowlers Kwon Alexander and Jamal Adams as well as Myles Adams and Jonah Williams saw action after participating in their first team walkthroughs on Monday.

The collective effort of a cobbled-together defense resulted in Packers quarterback Jordan Love being under pressure the entire game, making it difficult for him to connect with trusted targets like Reed, who only threw one pass his way.

It was the first game this season in which the former Michigan State star finished with no stats. Entering the game, he had 44 receptions for 693 yards and six touchdowns.

Reed said the biggest factor in Green Bay’s second loss of the season to the Lions was Detroit’s fast start and the Packers’ inability to capitalize on opportunities.

“It’s just the little things that will separate us,” Reed said.

At 12-1 and a perfect divisional record of 4-0, the Lions have all but secured the NFC North crown. However, at 9-4, the Packers remain alive in the playoff race. Reed was saddened by the loss and perked up when asked about the possibility of facing the Lions in the playoffs for a third time this season.

“Oh yeah, of course,” Reed said. “We definitely want to come back here and see them again.”

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