The Green Bay Packers' Week 1 victory over the Detroit Lions started in the trenches. In particular, it was a Micah Parsons-led defensive line that bullied the Lions' front five all afternoon.
Detroit's line has responded well since then, but it faces an injury crisis that Parsons and Co. can exploit at Ford Field on Thanksgiving.
In Week 1, Parsons went after guard Christian Mahogany and center Graham Glasgow with a ton of success. Now, Mahogany is on injured reserve and won't play this week, and Glasgow's status is also uncertain due to injury. And they're not the only Lions linemen in danger of missing this game.
Packers can take advantage of Lions' injury-hit offensive line in crucial Thanksgiving matchup
The Lions' offensive success is built on the foundations of elite offensive line play. When defenses can find cracks in Jared Goff's protection, they can shut down Detroit's offense. We saw that in Week 1.
Every quarterback performs better when operating in a clean pocket, but the difference is vast for Goff. According to PFF, when kept clean, Goff has completed 78.9 percent of his passes for 2,165 yards, 23 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Under pressure, he's completed just 45.5 percent for 604 yards, no touchdowns, and two picks.
With Mahogany out, the Lions have turned to former undrafted free agent Kayode Awosika. His PFF pass-blocking grade ranks 70th among 80 guards, and he just allowed two sacks to the New York Giants.
The Lions potentially have other problems along the line.
Glasgow, who shifted to center following Frank Ragnow's surprise retirement in the summer, appeared on the Week 13 injury report. Detroit only conducted a walkthrough on Monday and didn't practice, but the estimation is that he wouldn't have participated.
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Right guard Tate Ratledge, left tackle Taylor Decker, and right tackle Penei Sewell are also on the injury report, although they all played through the same injuries in Week 12. Even if they play, it still shows that the entire starting line is below 100 percent.
Glasgow is the one to watch. He has struggled to adjust to center this season, and his PFF grade ranks 28th among 38 players at the position. However, he is still a highly experienced lineman. If Glasgow misses the game, the Lions may have to turn to Trystan Colon, a former undrafted free agent who signed with the team in June.
Colon has only played nine snaps at center for the Lions, earning an awful 1.4 PFF grade against the Washington Commanders. He hasn't played extensive snaps at the position since 2021 with the Baltimore Ravens, with most of his work since then coming at guard.
Jeff Hafley continues to find creative ways to get Parsons involved at interior positions. Against the Minnesota Vikings, he had Parsons line up directly behind Devonte Wyatt on one play, with the two destroying everything in their path before Wyatt sacked J.J. McCarthy.
We saw Parsons inside a lot in Week 1, and if the Lions start Awosika at left guard and Colon at center, you can guarantee Hafley will regularly send Parsons, Wyatt, and Lukas Van Ness (if healthy) in their direction.
Green Bay has gotten healthier along the defensive line in recent weeks, but the opposite is true for the Lions' front five on offense. Their offensive dominance starts with Goff's bodyguards, both for their elite run-blocking ability and how they allow next to nothing to opposing pass rushes.
The Lions have one of the league's best tackle pairings, but even if Decker and Sewell are good to go on the outside, the Packers could take advantage of favorable matchups inside and turn Goff's Thanksgiving into a nightmare.