The Green Bay Packers feel they’ve made significant improvements since their last game against the Detroit Lions nearly a month ago.

They have a chance to prove this when they play the Lions on Thursday, closing out a stretch of three games in 12 days. For the Packers to have a realistic chance of competing for the NFC North title, they need to win this game and make up for their 24-14 loss to the Lions on November 3.

Even though the Packers (9-3) have put themselves in a good position to secure a playoff spot by winning three games in a row and seven of their last eight, they are still two games behind the Lions (11-1) and a half-game behind Minnesota (9-2) in the NFC North. They’ve also lost at home to both of those teams.

This makes Thursday’s game very important.

“With how much the guys are winning on the other side, we’ve got to do everything right from here on out,” running back Josh Jacobs said after the Packers’ 30-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur recognizes the tough challenge the Packers will face in Detroit. He calls the Lions “the premier team in the National Football League.”

But LaFleur also believes the Packers are playing their best football of the season. They built a 27-3 lead against Miami, just four nights after a 38-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

These strong starts are in contrast to their loss to the Lions at Lambeau Field, where the Packers allowed the Lions to take a 24-3 lead.

“The one thing that stands out to me is just we’re being physical in every phase of football, and I think that’s going to do us well,” LaFleur said after the Miami game. “I think that gives you a chance each and every week, just, and it shows up all over the tape, whether it’s our linebackers hitting people, whether it’s up front, our receivers blocking.”

Packers center Josh Myers agrees that the team is playing better than they did during their last game against the Lions.

“I feel like we just found our rhythm,” Myers said. “We’ve settled in. That whole time you kept hearing complementary football being thrown around everywhere, I feel like we’re doing that now.”