The Green Bay Packers may not have officially gotten J.J. McCarthy benched to pull through on last week's scorching hot predictions, but there will be plenty of opportunities on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions for more bold predictions to come to pass.
As much as everyone just enjoys the "vibes" of football during Thanksgiving, there is a lot more at stake in this Packers-Lions matchup than a turducken. This game will have massive implications on the NFC North battle this season, and we've got bold predictions that will have the Packers taking a major step forward in that regard.
Which players are going to step up for the Packers this week? Who is getting shut down on the Lions? We're taking a look into the proverbial crystal ball for some scorching-hot predictions for this week's Thanksgiving showdown.
Micah Parsons defensive TD tops scorching hot Packers predictions vs. Lions on Thanksgiving
1. Micah Parsons gets a defensive touchdown
Defensive touchdowns are extremely tough to come by, and Micah Parsons has one as an NFL player. It came back in 2022 for the Cowboys on a fumble recovery, and truly one of the wildest defensive touchdowns you'll see.
It's been long enough since Parsons's first -- and only -- defensive touchdown up to this point. The stage of a Thanksgiving matchup against the Lions is the perfect opportunity for Parsons to get his next one. It doesn't matter if it's a pick-six or a fumble recovery, but somehow, Parsons is going to get it this week.
Is it really that bold of a prediction to say the Packers' best defensive player is going to get a defensive score? How about this: The Lions only have eight giveaways this season as an offense, the third-best number in the NFL. Even getting a takeaway is tough to do on the Lions, but a defensive touchdown would take it to the next level.
Parsons could take advantage of the Lions' offensive line crisis and generate a game-changing moment.
2. Emanuel Wilson goes off for 100 rushing yards...again
Emanuel Wilson has turned out to be quite the find for the Packers as a former undrafted free agent. Wilson has developed nicely from being a rotational piece to becoming the RB2 behind Josh Jacobs, and he got his first true RB1 look of the season last week against the Vikings.
And he did well.
Not only did Wilson go for over 100 yards on the ground against Minnesota, but he ground out the tough yardage in short down-and-distance situations. His 30 total touches resulted in 125 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns.
Josh Jacobs is going to push to play against the Lions, and even if he plays, we're sticking with this prediction. Maybe Wilson will get a big chunk of his next 100-yard game on one run playing as the RB2 behind Jacobs, or maybe the Packers will play it safe with Jacobs.
Either way, we're calling for Wilson to have another big game.
3. Jahmyr Gibbs rushes for less than 40 yards
Packers fans are going to be manifesting this because Jahmyr Gibbs just had one of the best games of his NFL career last week against the New York Giants. He ran for 219 yards and finished with 264 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns.
It was one of the most dominating efforts you'll see from a running back in today's NFL.
The Packers, however, can shut him down. They've already proven it this year. They only allowed Gibbs to run for 19 yards back in Week 1 this season on nine carries, and that isn't the only time this year that Gibbs has been bottled up. He has three games this season in which he's run for less than 40 yards.
It will take a disciplined and complete team effort from the Packers' defense, but they can limit Gibbs from doing serious damage.