In a matchup packed with division implications -- Packers at 7-3-1, Lions at 7-4 -- Green Bay enters its 22nd Thanksgiving meeting with Detroit knowing the ballgame could shape the second half of the NFC North race.
And while quarterbacks and big-name playmakers usually drive headlines, no defender may be more important to Green Bay’s plan than second-year 'backer Edgerrin Cooper. Against a Detroit offense built on spacing, misdirection, and stressing the second level, Cooper’s blend of twitch and range becomes the hinge point of Thursday’s contest.
Pulling the lens in on Detroit's offensive structure, the Lions weaponize Jahmyr Gibbs as well as any team in football. He’s an explosive accelerator who thrives when he gets to the edge, wins leverage in space, can outrun any defender in the game, and bottom line, he changes the math defensively in how, and who, aligns opposite of him when flexed in space.
Edgerrin Cooper is key to Packers slowing down Jahmyr Gibbs again in Week 13
Jahmyr Gibbs vs. Packers in Week 1
Total yards | 50 |
|---|---|
Rushing yards | 19 |
Yards per carry | 2.1 |
Receiving yards | 31 |
For Green Bay, however, it's exactly where Cooper’s strengths intersect with Detroit’s intentions. The Packers need him to erase space, limiting Gibbs' running lanes and forcing him back into the teeth of the defense.
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Looking at Cooper, his speed to the perimeter is the first piece. Whether Detroit tests the boundary with toss, stretch, or motion-based misdirection, Cooper has the rare ability to meet Gibbs at a width and depth that most linebackers simply can’t reach. But, it’s not just about beating Gibbs to the corner -- it’s about forcing him back inside, redirecting the run into Green Bay’s interior help rather than giving the Lions’ electric back one-on-one tracks to the sideline.
His angles will matter... his discipline will matter more.
Coverage, though, is where Cooper could make his biggest impact. Detroit’s offense leans heavily on intermediate crossers, layered routes, and play-action concepts designed to move linebackers out of windows.
While the Lions will be without TE Sam LaPorta, one of the top young flex weapons in the sport, Cooper has to consistently gain correct depth in the middle of the field, carry crossers without over-committing, and take away the very space Goff depends on to stay in rhythm. When Cooper handles his drops cleanly, he shrinks Detroit’s intermediate game -- something that often forces Goff to hold the ball longer and look outside his comfort zone.
If the Packers are going to disrupt Detroit’s play script, it starts with making Gibbs work for every inch after the hand-off, and Goff uncomfortable between the numbers. To do that, it requires a uniquely athletic linebacker who can handle both responsibilities without substitution.
Fortunately for Green Bay, Cooper has quickly become exactly that.