The Green Bay Packers are hoping to right the wrongs of yesteryear–and a couple of years before that. The Detroit Lions have won six of the last eight meetings in the rivalry while taking the division crown in the past two seasons.
But the Packers have a few new weapons to deploy in 2025 to reclaim their spot at the top of the NFC North mountain. The Lions, on the other hand, lost a few pieces in key spots and are largely reloading their roster from the injured reserve list that became overpopulated down the stretch.
While the Week 1 contest between the old rivals figures to be one of the more competitive games of opening weekend in the NFL, the Packers’ new advantages are poised to exploit some weak spots in the Lions' lineup.
Packers can attack key Lions' weak points in rivalry opener
Guard Tate Ratledge
Welcome to the NFL, rook. Here’s Micah Parsons stunting inside to chase your immobile quarterback. Good luck.
Jokes aside, Tate Ratledge was the Lions’ second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Georgia and slides in as the new right guard. He earned notable praise from head coach Dan Campbell this summer and should eventually develop into another talented lineman for Detroit.
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But this is his first NFL action, and the Packers already know that Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker don’t give up much on the edge. With Parsons in town, he should carry over his versatility to rush inside on stunts and blitzes to create immediate pressure where Detroit is weakest.
After all, Detroit’s entire interior offensive line is brand new. Creative pressures from defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will serve the Packers' defense well to exploit the changes on each side of the ball. Of course, Hafley called the second-fewest blitzes in the NFL last season, so don’t expect too many overload situations.
Still, if ever there was a time for Green Bay to prove its pass rush is more formidable than ever, they’ll do so by exploiting the rookie at right guard. Confuse Ratledge, and let him try to handle Parsons a few times, and Green Bay’s defense will reap the benefit.
Cornerback Terrion Arnold
Second-year corner Terrion Arnold is a great young cornerback, but he isn’t without his faults. Last season, he allowed just 55.3 percent of passes in his coverage area to be completed, which matches the pace of Sauce Gardner in New York. However, it doesn’t tell the whole story.
Arnold gave up 660 yards and four touchdowns on just 50 completions. That’s an average of 13.2 yards per completion. Even more damning, the air yardage. Of the 660 yards Arnold gave up, 484 yards were through the air.
Despite his talent and potential, Arnold struggled with giving up big plays in his first season. Surely he has improved in his first full NFL offseason, but the Packers should put those efforts to the test often in Week 1.
A prime candidate to test him is rookie first-round receiver Matthew Golden. Golden has already flashed his downfield potential this summer, and he’s no doubt looking to make a statement in Week 1 with a fat stat sheet. He could get it if Jordan Love looks his way on a few deep shots in the season opener.