Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions: Five keys to watch

The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers play at Lambeau Field in 2011.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Fresh off a much-needed bye week, the Green Bay Packers shift their attention to their NFC North division rival — Detroit Lions.

Everyone knows the history between these two teams, especially when it comes to the game being played in the state of Wisconsin. The Packers have won a whopping 21 straight games against the Lions in Wisconsin. In fact, the last time the Packers were defeated in the state of Wisconsin it was during the pre-Brett Favre era in December 1991.

The Packers haven’t lost to the Lions in general since 2010, when the Lions defeated the Packers 7-3. Yes, the Packers have enjoyed an unusual amount of success over the Lions the last two decades, but make no mistake about it, these aren’t your Lions of the early 2000s.

The Lions have added more offensive weapons, including what is arguably the acquisition of the offseason, running back Reggie Bush. They also have a better defensive line (difficult to imagine) than they did last season with the addition of rookie defensive end Ziggy Ansah.

The Lions come into the game in a first-place tie with the Chicago Bears (hold tie-breaker, for now, based on the head-to-head win) with a record of 3-1. The Packers come into the game facing, perhaps, a must-win scenario, as falling to 1-3 could be disastrous for the Packers.

Let’s take a look at what will be the key match ups in the Lions-Packers NFC North showdown this Sunday at Lambeau Field.