{"id":88842,"date":"2025-09-06T07:58:35","date_gmt":"2025-09-06T07:58:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=88842"},"modified":"2025-09-06T07:58:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T07:58:35","slug":"big-time-pass-rushers-ignite-new-fire-as-lions-packers-rivalry-reaches-explosive-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=88842","title":{"rendered":"Big-Time Pass Rushers Ignite New Fire as Lions-Packers Rivalry Reaches Explosive Levels"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Big-time<\/p>\n

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, center, is sacked by Lions defensive end Za’Darius Smith, bottom, on Dec. 6 in Detroit. (AP file photo)<\/p>\n

GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2014 Micah Parsons hasn\u2019t suited up for the Green Bay Packers yet, but the two-time All-Pro edge rusher knows how he\u2019s supposed to feel about the Detroit Lions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never liked Detroit,\u201d Parsons said. \u201cI never liked them. Even when I was in Dallas, It\u2019s just always, it\u2019s always a heavyweight fight, every time they came in. And they kind of got our guys when I was injured last year, or the whole team was injured. So I just think it\u2019s funny how things work. I\u2019m excited to play them, I\u2019m very excited, and it\u2019s going to go all 12, 15 rounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parsons is preparing to make his Packers debut on Sunday, just over a week after Green Bay acquired him from the Dallas Cowboys, though it\u2019s not certain he\u2019ll play because he\u2019s been limited in practice with a back issue.<\/p>\n

Another All-Pro pass rusher, Detroit\u2019s Aidan Hutchinson, will be making his comeback after breaking his left leg in two places last October during that 47-9 blowout of the Cowboys.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a long time coming,\u201d Hutchinson said.<\/p>\n

The former Big Ten foes \u2014 Hutchinson at Michigan, Parsons at Penn State \u2014 are now NFC North rivals for teams that enter the season with Super Bowl aspirations.<\/p>\n

The Packers sent two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark for the right to acquire Parsons and make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history.<\/p>\n

Just how much Parsons will be able to contribute right away remains uncertain.<\/p>\n

Parsons said his back problems began in camp when he felt a tweak while lifting weights. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said \u201cwe\u2019re hopeful, but no guarantees\u201d regarding Parsons\u2019 availability.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve just got plenty of faith that this great training staff and the coaches are slowly getting me the plays and getting me things that I need if we decide to give me the green light out there,\u201d Parsons said. \u201cIt\u2019s completely up to the coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s the favorite?<\/p>\n

The Lions are the two-time defending NFC North champions, winning consecutive division titles for the first time since they won a franchise-best three in a row from 1952-54. Detroit is 35-9 over the last 2 1\/2 seasons.<\/p>\n

The Lions, though, have slipped behind the Packers as favorites to win the division, according to BetMGM.<\/p>\n

\u201cVegas has been wrong before, right?\u201d Detroit quarterback Jared Goff said.<\/p>\n

Lions\u2019 new look<\/p>\n

Lions coach Dan Campbell had to revamp his staff after both coordinators were hired as head coaches.<\/p>\n

John Morton took over as offensive coordinator after the Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson. Kelvin Sheppard, who had been coaching Detroit\u2019s linebackers, got promoted to defensive coordinator after Aaron Glenn left for the New York Jets.<\/p>\n

Morton spent the last two seasons as Denver\u2019s passing game coordinator. He was a senior offensive assistant with Detroit in 2022.<\/p>\n

Replacing Clark<\/p>\n

The Packers figured to have trouble slowing Detroit\u2019s running back tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who combined to rush for 2,187 yards and 28 touchdowns last season.<\/p>\n

That challenge grew tougher with the departure of Clark. Colby Wooden, whose role figures to increase, said his former teammate was \u201cmore like my big bro.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut this is a business, and transactions do go down,\u201d Wooden said. \u201cSo for us, we\u2019ve just got to keep playing ball. We know what to do.\"Big-time\u201c<\/p>\n

Love\u2019s thumb<\/p>\n

Packers quarterback Jordan Love had surgery on his left (non-throwing) thumb last month. He\u2019s been wearing tape and a brace.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never been much of an issue having it wrapped up and things,\u201d Love said. \u201cI think just for me it\u2019s just getting the strength back and things like that in my thumb has been the biggest thing. The brace and the tape, nothing has been limiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

LaFleur said Love hasn\u2019t been handing off with his left hand while wearing the brace.<\/p>\n

Comfortable Lions<\/p>\n

The Lions have won in each of their last three trips to Lambeau Field, a streak that started when they eliminated the Packers from playoff contention in four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers\u2019 final game with Green Bay.<\/p>\n

\u201cMan, we love Lambeau,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cIt\u2019s awesome. That\u2019s one of those places, on the eighth day, the good Lord made Lambeau. So, we can go out there and play in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP Sports Writer Larry Lage contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP NFL: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nfl<\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2014 Micah Parsons hasn\u2019t suited up for the Green Bay Packers yet, but the two-time All-Pro edge rusher knows how he\u2019s supposed to feel about the Detroit Lions. \u201cI never liked Detroit,\u201d Parsons said. \u201cI never liked them. Even when I was in Dallas, It\u2019s just always, it\u2019s always a heavyweight fight, [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":88845,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[3521,3519,3520,3518],"class_list":["post-88842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","tag-big-time-pass-rushers-intensify-lions-packers-rivalry","tag-big-time-pass-rushers-intensify-lions-packers-rivalrynational-sports","tag-big-time-pass-rushers-intensify-lions-packers-rivalrysports","tag-michigan-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nBig-Time Pass Rushers Ignite New Fire as Lions-Packers Rivalry Reaches Explosive Levels - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=88842\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Big-Time Pass Rushers Ignite New Fire as Lions-Packers Rivalry Reaches Explosive Levels - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2014 Micah Parsons hasn\u2019t suited up for the Green Bay Packers yet, but the two-time All-Pro edge rusher knows how he\u2019s supposed to feel about the Detroit Lions. \u201cI never liked Detroit,\u201d Parsons said. \u201cI never liked them. 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