3 areas Packers must improve in Thanksgiving rematch vs. Lions

2. Slow down Detroit's rushing attack

The loss in Week 4 saw the Lions rush for 211 yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries against the Packers. Most of the production on the ground came from David Montgomery (32 carries, 121 yards) and Jahmyr Gibbs (eight carries, 40 yards).

Detroit's dominance in this area allowed their offense to dictate the pace of the game and control time of possession (37:58-22:02). Slowing down the Lions running game is going to be essential for the Packers defense.

Slow down was chosen specifically over stop or contain for a reason. Detroit's 136.6 rushing yards per game is the fifth-most in the NFL. Meanwhile, the 134.7 yards per game allowed by the Packers is also the fifth-most. With their respective rankings coming together, these units are the perfect combination for disaster. Unfortunately, the disaster happens to be for the Packers and not the Lions.

While it would be great if the Packers completely shut down Detroit's rushing attack, it is just not a likely possibility.

Slowing down the Lions is more realistic than stopping them entirely, as difficult a task as that might be. Finding a way to make running the ball more difficult is not too big of an ask, but this is a Packers defense that struggles in this area and could struggle again.