Is Week 7 against the Green Bay Packers a must-win for the Detroit Lions?
I'd argue yes.
This is one of two contests they'll have against Green Bay this year, with their final game coming in Week 18, on the road, in a cold, snowy, windy environment. Winning a game where Detroit controls many variables - weather and health being the main two - is key. Dropping this game likely makes Week 18 a super must-win in such a contentious division.
The Packers, like the Lions, have been slow to start this season. Their 4-2 record could easily be 3-3, and they're struggling to remain healthy at the moment. But, they still create some positional disadvantages for the Lions headed into Week 7, and three specific Lions could really struggle against Green Bay as a result.
3 Lions that could struggle vs. Packers
Jahmyr Gibbs
Gibbs should feast against the Packers this week, with Green Bay posting a success rate of just 26 percent when stopping the run. However, as SideLion Report's Bo Underwood recently noted, the Lions' bell cow on offense has struggled against the Packers throughout his career.
Call it succumbing to the added pressure of a divisional game, or the Packers simply playing up the moment and beyond their actual skill, but Gibbs has yet to have a truly back-breaking performance against them in his short career.
While they don't have Micah Parsons in tow to disrupt basically everything on offense, as he did in Week 1 in 2025, Green Bay will still likely be locked in on trying to stop such a key element to Detroit's offense. Cade Mays' success in his first game this year will probably be a key to combatting this potential struggle for Gibbs.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Rakestraw has been good this year, quiet as it's been kept. The young cornerback has been one of the best in the league in press coverage, not giving his opponents much breathing room downfield. More often, teams are targeting D.J. Reed over Rakestraw, and that's led to more miscues than stops on Reeds part.
How often CBs are in press coverage and their overall ability to prevent separation pic.twitter.com/vB8N5XTBeT
— Jrfortgang (@throwthedamball) October 20, 2026
A potentially cursed element to this game will be how many deep passes Jordan Love attempts. This could directly impact Rakestraw, who will have to keep up with one of Matthew Golden or Christian Watson on these attempts, all while not committing penalties. His discipline is likely to get majorly tested in this game, and he could struggle if he's run into the ground.
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Blake Miller
Miller could be victim to a rising star on the Packers' depth chart, and that's fellow rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton. The former Penn State edge rusher has gotten better and better for Green Bay as they've needed some extra left in their trenches. With no end in sight for Micah Parsons' recovery, Dennis-Sutton will continue to get more burn for the team.
Dani Dennis-Sutton ranks No. 6 in the NFL and No. 1 among rookies with a 22.8 percent pressure rate.
— Jacob Morley (@JacobMorley) October 21, 2026
DDS is also second among rookies in QB
pressures (21) pic.twitter.com/EECqOQEqrs
Wouldn't it be extra motivating for a player like Dennis-Sutton to dominate against a top offensive line, and against an NFC North rival? Miller will have to be on his A-game in this contest,
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