Michigan Sports

Lions, Packers vie to be a top contender in NFC North

DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions are kicking off their first of six NFC North games with contests against the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings in the Motor City over the next two weeks, while a visit from Chicago looms on Thanksgiving.

If the Lions don’t make home field an advantage during the potentially pivotal stretch, it will be tough for them to live up to expectations as preseason favorites and win the division for the third time in four years.

Detroit didn’t win the NFC North last year in large part because it played poorly in it, going 2-4 against the division-champion Bears, Packers and Vikings.

The Lions (3-2) hope to take a step in the right direction against Green Bay (4-2) on Sunday as they try to track down the undefeated Vikings atop the NFC North.

“Division games are big, man,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said. “You talk about wanting to win a division, you have got to win division games. That’s something we weren’t able to do last year and that’s why those are important. … They’re really a game and a half.”

The Lions will play three of the last four games of the regular season on the road against NFC North teams, including a visit to Lambeau Field in Week 18.

All three chasers -- second-place Chicago (5-2)

, third-place Green Bay and fourth-place Detroit -- have two losses and are chasing undefeated Minnesota (5-0) that makes the stakes high for the visitors at Ford Field, too, in one of two NFL divisions that has all four teams with a winning record.

“Since I’ve been the starter, the division’s been winning a lot of games and it’s been a very tight competition throughout the whole course of the division, through the whole season,” Packers quarterback Jordan Love said.

The Packers, who rank last in rushing yards and yards per carry, are expected to get a boost with the return of Josh Jacobs, who pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges stemming from an altercation with his then-girlfriend. The three-time Pro Bowl running back was removed this week from the commissioner’s exempt list, which had prevented him from playing in the first six games of the year or practicing with the team.

“It’s going to be a huge addition for us,” Love said. “Excited to have him back.”

Packs’ Franklin out

But Green Bay linebacker and the team’s second-leading tackler Zaire Franklin will be out.

Packers coach Mike LaFleur says he’s optimistic that it won’t be a long-term issue after Franklin took a knee to the shin during a collision. Franklin, who wasn’t added to the injury report until Thursday, has 41 tackles in his first year with Green Bay after spending eight seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. The Packers acquired him in a trade for defensive tackle Colby Wooden.

“It happens when you play football, especially the way our guys have been practicing,” LaFleur said. “But I think we’ve got a lot of confidence in (Isaiah) McDuffie and (Ty’Ron) Hopper and Nick Niemann if need be to go in there and do a great job for us.”

Green Bay’s top tackler is safety Evan Williams, who has 49 stops.

Matchup to watch

Packers’ passing game against Detroit’s defense. Green Bay’s Christian Watson has 538 yards receiving and six touchdowns while teammate Matthew Golden has 501 yards receiving and three touchdowns. They are the only duo to rank among the top 10 in the NFL in yards receiving. The Lions are last in the league in passing defense, allowing nearly 300 yards per game.