Packers vs. Lions: 5 things to watch and a prediction for Week 1

The Green Bay Packers will welcome the defending NFC North champion Detroit Lions to Lambeau Field for the highly anticipated opener of the 2025 season on Sunday. After swinging a blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons, the Packers have their sights set on a Super Bowl. So do the Lions after winning 15 games in 2024 and returning their impressive young core for 2025.

Will Dan Campbell’s team continue its dominance at Lambeau Field, where the Lions have won three straight games? Or will Matt LaFleur’s team finally stand up to the Lions and prove the Packers can be one of the elite teams in 2025?

Five things to watch and a prediction for the Packers’ season opener on Sunday:

Parsons debut, Hutchinson returns

Both teams are getting a huge boost at a premium defensive position to start the 2025 season. Micah Parsons will make his Packers debut after a historic trade to Green Bay, giving Jeff Hafley’s defense an elite, game-wrecking edge rusher, while Aidan Hutchinson — who had 7.5 sacks in five games to start last season — will make his long awaited return to the lineup after missing the final 12 games of 2024 with a significant leg injury. Both Parsons and Hutchinson are NFL Defensive Player of the Year type players. Both can take over a game in a hurry. Both might need an acclimation period after missing time — Parsons sat out training camp and is dealing with a back injury, while Hutchinson hasn’t played since mid-October of last year — but it won’t be surprising if one or both players makes a game-changing play on Sunday.

New-look defensive line vs. new-look offensive line

Keep a close eye on the interior offensive line when the Lions have the football on Sunday. The Packers traded away Kenny Clark and lost TJ Slaton in free agency, so Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden, Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse will do the heavy lifting at defensive tackle. Wyatt is a pass-rusher first, Wooden put on weight to convert to nose tackle, and Brinson and Stackhouse are rookies. On the other side, the Lions lost center Frank Ragnow and veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, forcing Graham Glasglow to move to center and changes at both guard spots. The Lions will start a second-year player at left guard (Christian Mahogany) and a rookie at right guard (Tate Ratledge), so the interior offensive line will be a work in progress to open 2025. Given how often the Lions run the football, and Jared Goff’s lack of pocket mobility, the winner of the battle between two new-look units will go a long ways in determining a winner Sunday.

Start of Year 1 for Golden, start of Year 2 for Cooper

It’s difficult to remember a first-round pick in Green Bay with as much pre-season buzz as Matthew Golden, and it’s possible no second-year defensive player since Clay Matthews has as much elite potential as linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. Golden, who will become the first player in franchise history to wear the No. 0, could be an instant playmaker and go-to target in the passing game, especially considering the injury situation at wide receiver. On defense, many believe Cooper could be the next big thing at linebacker in the NFL. In fact, former NFL coach Jon Gruden called Cooper the “Edge of Darkness” and said he could be the next “superstar” linebacker in his Packers-Lions preview. Jordan Love needs Golden to shine right away against the Lions’ man coverage; Jeff Hafley needs Cooper to be scary good on Sunday to contain the Lions’ big-time running back duo.

Takeaway emphasis

The Packers put an emphasis on taking the ball away all summer, specifically in terms of forcing fumbles. Even after forcing 31 takeaways last season, Jeff Hafley wants more, and Micah Parsons — who has nine forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries in his career — should immediately help the cause. The Lions only turned the ball over 15 times during the regular season last year, but the playoff defeat to the Commanders at Ford Field featured five turnovers and a 5-0 loss in turnover margin. You can bet both teams want to win the ball. The Packers had critical turnovers in losses to the Lions last season, including a pick-six thrown by Jordan Love in Green Bay and a fumble by Christian Watson leading to a 10-0 hole in Detroit, and Love threw three picks in the playoff defeat in Philadelphia. The Packers need to play a clean game to beat a very good Lions team on Sunday.

Who can beat man coverage?

The Packers were an explosive and efficient passing game last season, but Love’s leg injuries and inconsistency beating man coverage kept Green Bay from making it happen when it mattered most. The Lions are a high-percentage man coverage team, and DJ Reed provides another combative perimeter corner, so the Packers will get tested right out of the gates. Who can go win a 1-on-1 in a big spot? Rookie Matthew Golden might be the best bet, especially considering Jayden Reed (foot) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf) are still battling injuries. The Packers are also expecting big things from tight ends Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave as a 1-2 punch in the passing game, possibly providing opportunities to lean into 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends). So often in big games, the winning team finds a big play on a key third down or in the red zone. The Packers passing game needs to deliver when those big situations arrive on Sunday.

Prediction: Packers 27, Lions 24 (0-0)

This is one of the most highly anticipated season openers in recent Packers history. It’s not only the debut of Micah Parsons, one of the biggest acquisitions in the team’s history, but also the debut of Matthew Golden, a hugely impressive rookie receiver. The opponent is an impressive one — a 15-win Lions team from a year ago and the back-to-back NFC North champs. And this is an increasingly rare Week 1 game at Lambeau Field. Could the Packers be catching the Lions at a good time? Dan Campbell’s team has new playcallers on offense and defense, a few new starters on the interior of the offensive line and a few important injuries up front on defense. The Packers must get off to a fast start, win the battle at the line of scrimmage and avoid a game-changing turnover. The guess here is they accomplish all three, and Parsons or Xavier McKinney provides the one big play late to seal the deal. The Packers need this one. Lambeau will be buzzing, and Matt LaFleur’s team needs to prove they belong among the elites right away.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers vs. Lions: 5 things to watch and a prediction for Week 1