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TNF Picks: Lions take on Packers for NFC North lead

The last time the Detroit Lions won a divisional title was 1991, when they played in the NFC Central. Can they beat the Packers tonight for sole lead in the NFC North race?

By Kyle DeDiminicantanio
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Syndication: Stevens Point Journal Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK

The last time these two teams took the field against each other, the Detroit Lions knocked the Green Bay Packers out of playoff contention in Aaron’s last regular season game with the team. Today, the Lions (-2) are taking on the Packers (+2) with a more ambitious goal: to take the division lead in their campaign to with the NFC North for their first time.

The last time the Lions won a divisional title was 1991, when they still played in the NFC Central, and when George H. Bush was president. They’ve had nearly three decades of disappointment since then, despite having two of the best players at their respective positions in Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, both who retired relatively early in their careers.

Dan Campbell has turned the culture in Detroit around, resurrected Jared Goff’s career, and turned them into a legitimate threat in the NFC. Not many teams actively promote their offensive line as the faces of their team, but the Lions are that kind if team, and it really works for them.

Meanwhile, the Packers are transitioning from a Hall of Fame quarterback and trying to see what they have in Jordan Love in the last year of his rookie deal. They signed him to a one-year extension in the offseason as a way of giving him a two-year evaluation window and spreading his 2024 cap hit into future voidable years. Although Aaron Jones and AJ Dillion remain offensive staples, the rest of the offensive weapons have turned over in the last two years, giving this team a completely new identity with their new quarterback.

Syndication: The Post-Crescent Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

Although the Packers have been fairly dominant in their division in Aaron Rodgers’ tenure, the Lions are certainly a team on the rise. Defeating the Packers tonight would be a significant step on the path to the divisional title.

DraftKings Sportsbook is giving the Packers a 2-point spread, but the Lions aren’t a team I’d bet against. I’m going with Detroit tonight, what do you think BFTB?

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