Dope Sheet: Packers and Lions meet on Thanksgiving

The Green Bay Packers travel to Detroit on a short week to face the Lions at Ford Field.

• It is the first time Green Bay has played on the holiday since it hosted the Bears in 2015 and the first time at Detroit since 2013.
• Thursday will be the 22nd meeting between the Packers and Lions on Thanksgiving, the most in the NFL (Lions and Bears is No. 2 with 19 games).
• The Packers are 14-20-2 overall on Thanksgiving with an 8-12-1 record against the Lions.
• According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the two Thursday games against Detroit this season mark just the second time that two teams have squared off multiple times on a Thursday in the same season (1926 Chicago Bears/Chicago Cardinals).
• The Packers lead the regular-season series, 103-76-7 (.573), and have won both postseason contests the two clubs have played.
• Green Bay's 103 regular-season wins over the Lions are the most it has against any team.
• The Packers have won two of the last four contests at Detroit and five of the last eight games overall.
• The two games last season were decided by a total of 10 points. Detroit took the first meeting this season, 34-20, in Week 4.
• The Lions have won the last four games between the two, ending the Packers' five-game win streak.
• The Lions and Packers share one of the league's streakiest series. One team has swept the season series in six of the last seven years.
• The clubs have split their meetings only once in that span, in 2021.
• This will be the second road division game for the Packers this season, having won at Chicago, 38-20, in Week 1.
• Under Head Coach Matt LaFleur, Green Bay is 9-4 in road division games, a .692 winning percentage that leads the NFC North and is tied for No. 5 in the NFL over that span.
• The Packers have won two of their last three games and the Lions have won three in a row.

AGAINST THE LIONS

• WR Romeo Doubs posted a career-high nine receptions for 95 yards in the first game against the Lions this season.
• LB Rashan Gary has registered 2.5 sacks, two tackles for a loss and seven QB hits in his last six games against the Lions.
• LB Quay Walker set career highs in tackles (19) and solo tackles (10) in the Week 4 game against Detroit.
• LB De'Vondre Campbell has played against Detroit twice, posting 20 tackles (14 solo) and an interception.

WITH THE CALL

• FOX Sports, now in its 30th season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game.
• Play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt joins analyst Greg Olsen with Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi reporting from the sideline.
• All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 51 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and North and South Dakota. 97.3 The Game – WRNW-Milwaukee begins its second season as the flagship station of the Packers Radio Network. For a map and full listing of radio affiliates, go to packers.com/video/radio-network.Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 29th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 25th season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
• The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio on channels 82 or 225 or through the app (Packers Radio Network feed).
• Westwood One will be broadcasting on radio to a national audience with JP Shadrick (play-by-play) and Derek Rackley (analyst) on the call and Scott Graham hosting pregame and halftime shows.

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Packers at Lions:

• All-time, regular season: 103-76-7
• All-time, postseason: 2-0 (1-0 at Detroit)
• All-time, at Detroit (regular season): 42-47-3 (12-9 at Ford Field)
• Streaks: Green Bay is 4-2 at Detroit on Thanksgiving since 2000.
• Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 28, 2023, Lambeau Field, Lions won, 34-20

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 51-25-0, .671; (2-3 postseason); 5th NFL season
• Dan Campbell: 25-30-1, .455; (0-0 postseason); 4th NFL season
• Head to Head: LaFleur 1-4 vs. Campbell
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 5-4 vs. Lions; Campbell 4-1 vs. Packers

MATT LaFLEUR…In his fifth season as the Packers' 15th head coach.

• Enters his 15th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
• In his first four seasons leading the Packers, has authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, his 47 wins are the second most in league history by a head coach in his first four seasons in the NFL, trailing only George Seifert (52 in 1989-92). Green Bay's 47-19 regular-season record since 2019 ranks No. 3 in the NFL and No. 1 in the NFC.
• Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed Seifert (38) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in league history, trailing only Andy Reid's 40 wins with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2020-22 and Mike Ditka's 40 wins with the Chicago Bears from 1985-87 (Elias).
• Guided the Packers to a 27-6 record (.818) in the regular season from 2019-22 at Lambeau Field, the top home mark in the NFL since 2019. His .750 win percentage (18-6 record) against NFC North opponents in his first four seasons also ranks as the best in the history of the NFC North/Central (min. 10 games).
• In his first season leading the Packers in 2019, became the first coach in club history to lead the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven wins).

DAN CAMPBELL…In his third season as the Lions' 28th head coach.

• Has 25 years of NFL experience, including 14 years as a coach and 11 as a player. Most recently served as an assistant head coach/tight ends coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2016-2020.
• Led Detroit to its first winning season since 2017 as the Lions finished 9-8 overall in 2022. The team finished the season ranked in the top five in the NFL in five offensive categories and also set an NFL record for sacks by rookies with 20.5.
• Is the fifth former Lions player to be named a full-time head coach for the team and the first since Joe Schmidt, who played for Detroit from 1953-65 and served as the head coach from 1967-72.

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE PACKERS-LIONS SERIES

• This is the 92nd consecutive season these two franchises have met, playing each other at least twice every season since 1932.
• Green Bay's 103 regular-season wins over Detroit are the team's second-most wins over a single opponent, behind only the Packers' 105 wins over Chicago.
• The Packers won 29 of the first 38 matchups in the series (1930-49) before the Lions reeled off 11 straight wins over a six-year span (1949-54).

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is from Mount Pleasant, Mich., and played quarterback at Western Michigan (1998-99) and Saginaw Valley State (2000-02)…LaFleur later became an offensive assistant at Saginaw Valley State (2003), a graduate assistant at Central Michigan (2004-05), and a quarterbacks/wide receivers coach at Northern Michigan (2006)...Packers LB Eric Wilson is from Redford, Mich., and attended Lee M. Thurston High School…Packers DL Karl Brooks is from Lansing, Mich., and attended Lansing Sexton High School…Packers LB Rashan Gary (2016-18) and G Jon Runyan (2016-19) played collegiate football at Michigan…Packers WR Jayden Reed began his collegiate career at Western Michigan (2018) and finished it at Michigan State (2020-22)…Packers defense coordinator Joe Barry held the same role with the Lions for two seasons (2007-08)…Barry also played at Michigan from 1989-90…Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich played at Michigan (2002-05) and later was a strength and conditioning intern (2011) and a graduate assistant (2012-13) for the Wolverines...Packers senior analyst Tim Lester served as the head coach at Western Michigan for six seasons (2017-22)…Lester also played collegiately for the Broncos from 1996-99 and served as their quarterbacks coach from 2005-06…Packers pass rush specialist Jason Rebrovich was the defensive line/head of strength and conditioning for Ferris State (Big Rapids, Mich.) in 2005-06…Packers defensive line/running game coordinator Jerry Montgomery coached the defensive line at Michigan from 2011-12…Packers CB Corey Ballentine played for Detroit during the 2021 season…Packers chief of staff Darryl Franklin spent three years as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan University and was a player personnel intern with the Lions in 2008...Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans coached at Michigan State for two seasons (2005-06)...Packers defensive backs coach Ryan Downard played collegiate football at Eastern Michigan (2007-10)...Packers passing game coordinator (defense) Greg Williams and Lions cornerbacks coach Dré Bly were college teammates at North Carolina…Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell was selected by the Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft and spent the first two seasons of his career (1993-94) in Green Bay…Lions senior personnel executive John Dorsey spent 21 years as an executive with the Packers (1991-98, 2000-12) and also played in 76 games for the Packers from 1984-88…Lions senior offensive assistant Jim Hostler was Green Bay's passing game coordinator in 2018…Lions head equipment manager Tim O'Neil spent six seasons as an equipment assistant in Green Bay (1995-2000)…LaFleur and Barry were with the Rams when Lions QB Jared Goff and WR Josh Reynolds were on the roster and when Lions executive V.P. and general manager Brad Holmes served as the Rams' director of college scouting…Lions head coach Dan Campbell was the tight ends coach for the Dolphins when Packers assistant offensive line coach Ryan Mahaffey was a fullback for the team in 2012…Packers tight ends coach John Dunn was on the Bears' staff in 2016-17 when Lions senior defensive assistant John Fox was the head coach of Chicago…Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Sirmans coached on the same side of the ball at Boston College from 2009-11…Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn coached with Downard in Cleveland from 2014-15…Packers LB De'Vondre Campbell and Lions DL John Cominsky were teammates in Atlanta in 2019…Former college teammates include: Packers LB Lukas Van Ness, LB Kristian Welch, Lions LB Jack Campbell and TE Sam LaPorta (Iowa); Runyan, Gary, Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson and WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (Michigan); Packers CB Carrington Valentine and Lions DL Josh Paschal (Kentucky); Packers RB AJ Dillon, LB Isaiah McDuffie and Lions CB Will Harris (Boston College); Packers DL Devonte Wyatt and Lions CB Jerry Jacobs (Hutchinson [Kan.] Community College); Packers C/G Josh Myers, Lions G Jonah Jackson and WR Jameson Williams (Ohio State); Packers S Anthony Johnson Jr. and Lions RB David Montgomery (Iowa State).