The Detroit Lions are on the road in Week 1, taking on division rival Green Bay Packers to kick off their 2025 season. If the Lions want to get off to a hot start, they’ll need to follow the keys to victory laid out in this week’s Honolulu Blueprint.
“You want to win the first one, right?” Lions coach Dan Campbell said earlier in the week. “You feel like you get off on the right foot, and you get that first win under your belt. I just think that’s big for anybody. For us, you love it. The problem is not getting too excited too early, right now. Division opponent at Lambeau, nationally televised game. We love this stuff, we live for this, so this is good, this is exciting. Listen, any win sets you up for the season, helps you. And that’s really what it’s about.”
Packers base schemes
For a detailed look at the opposing scheme, make sure you check out our complementary breakdown piece: Lions Week 1 Preview: Breaking down Packers’ offensive and defensive schemes.
Key 1: Run right up the middle
Last season, the Packers’ run defense was a strength. On average, they allowed 99.4 rushing yards per game (seventh best in the NFL), but the majority of their tackles were not made by their defensive line. In the middle of their defensive line, Kenny Clark demanded double teams (eighth most among defensive tackles last season), and T.J. Slaton was a space-eating nose tackle. While both Clark and Slaton led the Packers’ interior defensive line in run-stopping tackles, their main role was to occupy offensive linemen so that the second wave of defenders were free to attack open gaps.
This offseason, the Packers made an effort to increase their athleticism on defense, allowing Slaton to walk in free agency, and they recently traded away Clark to the Cowboys. As a result, the Packers are left with three pass rushing defensive tackles. DeVonte Wyatt is stepping into a starting 3-technique role, with Karl Brooks pegged as his backup, and with Clark (who was slated for the nose tackle role) in Dallas, Green Bay is reportedly turning to Corey Wooden, a 278-pound 4i/5-technique, who was originally expected to play the 3-technique.
Needless to say, there isn’t a defensive tackle on the Packers’ roster who currently demands a double team, which will give the Lions options. They can focus their double teams on edge rushers Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary on passing plays. On rushing plays, they can use the extra lineman to create advantages, such as digging the linebackers/safeties out of the second level.
“We’re going to continue to do what [we]’ve been doing,” Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said on Thursday. “So, coming off the ball and running it all starts up front, that’s what we’re going to do. And then we’ll take advantage of however they’re going to play us.”
Look for the Lions to lean on their dynamic duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to test the middle of the Packers’ defensive line early and often.
Key 2: Bring the fight to Micah Parsons
Parsons’ pass rushing talent is celebrated, and rightfully so, but whenever anyone brings up his run defense, it’s often dismissed as an afterthought. But the reality is, he’s produced slightly below-average statistics
“Detractors will quickly say Parsons sacrifices his run defense on the way to the quarterback. This is probably true,” ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote. “Since 2022, Parsons’ stuff rate is 2.6% (average for edge rushers is 3.1%) and his stop rate is 8.1% (average is 9.1%), according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He is below average, but not significantly.”
Now, keep in mind that Parsons is considered not significantly below average when he’s healthy and in game shape, but that’s another two obstacles that may also be working against him. Parsons is currently dealing with a back injury and hasn’t practiced this offseason until this week, meaning defending the run could be a level of physicality he has not been able to fully prepare his body for.
With Gary being the Packers’ best defensive lineman at defending the run, look for the Lions to also test Parsons’ side of the field, and don’t be surprised if they run right at him.
Key 3: Follow your OL “rules”
In pass protection, dealing with Parsons is a completely different challenge. Over the past four seasons, Parsons has accumulated 52.5 sacks, proving to be one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, full stop. His ability to play as a true off-the-ball linebacker also gives the Packers the ability to use “replacement blitzing,” something defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley loves to do. “Replacement blitzing” is the concept of bringing an edge rusher, such as Parsons, up to the line of scrimmage to show a blitz, then dropping him into coverage at the snap, and blitzing another linebacker/defensive back from an unsuspecting part of the field.
The Packers disguise their intentions with this very well, and Parsons will be an asset in this approach. For the Lions offensive line, they’ll need to have their communication on point and follow the offensive line “rules” they’ve established to stay sound in protection.
“You stick with your rules and stay sound,” Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley said earlier in the week. “Just stay with [the rules]. We can block everything because all our plays, all our protections, all our run games, they have rules. And the [Packers] can line up in anything they want to do, something they’ve never shown last year or never shown at all, but rules take place, and just trust what they’ve been doing along those lines.”
Key 4: Find St. Brown vs. Cover-3
When the Lions offensive line successfully follows their rules and quarterback Jared Goff gets to throw, he’ll likely be staring at a lot of zone defense. Last year, Goff took what the Packers gave him underneath and chopped them up in small doses.
The Packers elected to shift their corners around this offseason, and based on their acquisitions, they seem primed to stick with a zone-heavy scheme. Oft-injured Jaire Alexander was released, Nate Hobbs was signed in free agency to be his replacement, and nickel corner Keisean Nixon shifted from inside to the outside, with safety Javon Bullard taking over in the slot.
“It’s a zone type of defense,” Morton described Hafley’s coverage scheme. “I’ve gone against this defense multiple times. It’s all 11 eyes on the quarterback, they want to see everything and get you to third down-and-long.”
If Hafley indeed sticks to what he’s traditionally done, we’ll see a lot of Cover-3 and Cover-6 looks. This defense is similar to a bend-don’t-break approach, where they’re willing to give up passes underneath in order to prevent the big play. This is where the Goff-to-Amon-Ra St. Brown connection has thrived in the past, and is setting up to be a primary option again in this game. Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery will also have opportunities to produce in the passing game against this scheme, but this is a prime opportunity for the Sun God to see volume looks.
Key 5: Find Jamo vs. Cover-1
When the Packers elect to give the Lions Cover-1 looks (deep safety with outside corners in man coverage), Goff needs to be ready to adjust to Jameson Williams as his primary target. Williams has elevated his game this offseason, adding more strength to his frame and nuance to his route tree, which has allowed him to use his speed to gain separation.
“He came back (from the offseason) and I could immediately see the difference in his body type, but also his movement skills,“ Lions assistant head coach/wide receiver coach Scottie Montgomery said earlier this week. ”It became not just explosive, but it became to a point where now, ‘I can go be explosive and still stop on a dime.’ If you’ve watched him, his progression has been his ability to stop and start, or start and stop, either way you look at it. He’s done a good job of that.”
In previous seasons, corners only had to worry about Williams blowing by them with his elite speed. Now, they have to worry about his cutting his routes off, altering the route direction, as well as his deep threat speed. That’s a tall task in man coverage.
Key 6: Prioritize stopping the run
After an improved 2023, Packers quarterback Jordan Love took a step back in 2024 after dealing with multiple injuries and accuracy issues. That forced the Packers to lean heavily on their rushing attack—the Packers averaged 146.8 rushing yards per game (0.4 more yards per game than the Lions)—which carried them for the majority of the season.
With Love healthy—sort of, he’s recovering from surgery on his non-throwing hand—and after selecting a wide receiver in the first and third rounds of the draft, many believe the Packers will shift back to a pass-heavy scheme. However, the offseason investment in the offensive line, specifically the acquisition of guard Aaron Banks, suggests that the Packers will still rely heavily on Josh Jacobs and their rushing attack to help them win games.
“First and foremost, it starts with stopping the run and Josh Jacobs,” Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard reminded the media of the Lions’ defensive priorities on Thursday.
Last season, the Lions allowed just 98.4 rushing yards per game (fifth best in the NFL), and they could be even better in 2025. The Lions defensive line will return edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport from injury (neither played against the Packers last season), along with DJ Reader being a year removed from hip surgery, and they selected Tyleik Williams in the first round, arguably the best run-stuffing defensive tackle in this year’s draft.
“I’m expecting to see a violent, physical, big man striking and knocking people back,” Sheppard said of Tyleik Williams. “We know his playmaking ability, but I just keep reminding him, D-tackles don’t necessarily make plays that show up on the stat sheet. […] If you play on our defensive line, we expect you to knock people back violently, be able to sit down against double teams, hold in there thick and firm. And he’s shown that all camp, I’m very excited for that player and to see him out there in Lambeau.”
Key 7: Unleash Aidan Hutchinson
After breaking his leg in Dallas last season, Hutchinson’s rehabilitation has been well documented. Over the last nine months, Hutchinson has been fixated on returning to the football field better than what he was last season—when he was the front runner for Defensive Player of the Year. By all accounts from his training camp performances, he’s achieved that goal.
“I just feel like he’s improved himself even from last year,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said this week. “Just his ability to bend, his mechanics with his hands, his hips. There are tricks of the trade you learn along the way as you grow, and I do feel like, from a flexibility standpoint, and then just continuing to hone, his own skills, I think you can elevate yourself even a little bit more. I just feel like he’s done that, and he’s going to give you everything he’s got every play he’s out there. Every play. So, that’s why I’m excited because I know the guy’s going to give us everything he’s got, no matter what it is.”
Packers offensive tackles Zach Tom (right tackle) and Rasheed Walker (left) are very solid players, but they’re both going to be tested by Hutchinson, depending on the Lions’ defensive formations. While Hutchinson has traditionally spent a bit more time on the left side (over the right tackle), he appeared to spend more time on the right side (over the left tackle) in training camp. If that holds true, Hutchinson could get the majority of his matchups with Walker, who doesn’t quite have the track record of efficiency that Tom has.
It’s been a long time since most Lions fans have seen Hutchinson in action, but based on what we’ve seen of him in training camp, it’ll be worth the wait.
0 CommentsSee More:
