Packers open season at home against Lions

The Packers will open the season at home for the first time since 2018 and only the third time in the last 13 seasons when they face the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

• Green Bay was the only team in the NFL to open the season on the road each of the last six years (2019-24).
• The Packers have won their home opener in each of the last 12 seasons (2013-24), the longest streak in franchise history. Green Bay's streak of 12 straight wins in home openers is the longest NFL streak since Seattle won 12 straight from 2009-20 (per Elias).
• It is the third time in the last four years that Green Bay has opened the season against a division foe.
• It will be the earliest regular-season game by date at Lambeau Field since the 2003 opener (Sept. 7).
• It is the first season opener against the Lions since 2005 and the first time playing Detroit at home in Week 1 since 2001.
• It will be the 13th time the two franchises have played in Week 1, with Green Bay winning three of the last four.
• Including a 1994 playoff victory, the Packers are 28-6 against the Lions in the state of Wisconsin since 1992.
• Dating back to 2019, the series is even at 6-6.
• Eight of the last 12 meetings have been decided by seven points or less, including two of the last three.
• It is one of four games in Week 1 that matches up teams that made the playoffs in 2024 (Chiefs vs. Chargers in Brazil, Texans at Rams, and Ravens at Bills).
• The Packers held the Lions to 261 total yds and 137 passing yards at Lambeau Field last season. It was the second-fewest total yards and passing yards in a game by Detroit in 2024.
• Green Bay scored 42 points in the meeting at Lambeau in 2020, the most it had scored at home against the Lions since posting 45 in 2011. The Packers followed it up by scoring 35 in an 18-point victory at home in 2021.
• QB Jordan Love has posted passer ratings of 110- plus (111.7 and 125.5) in two of the last three games against Detroit.
• DL Rashan Gary has 4.5 sacks against the Lions in the last three matchups.
• TE Tucker Kraft has recorded a touchdown reception in two of the four games he has played against the Lions.
• RB Josh Jacobs tied his career high with three rushing TDs in the last meeting. Jacobs has posted a total of six rushing TDs in four career games against the Lions.
• WR Romeo Doubs' single-game highs for receptions (nine) and receiving yards (95) both came against Detroit in the 2023 contests at Lambeau Field.

WITH THE CALL

CBS will broadcast the game as play-by-play man Jim Nantz joins analyst Tony Romo in the booth with Tracy Wolfson reporting from the sidelines.

• The game is also available through NFL Sunday Ticket by YouTube.
• All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 54 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and North and South Dakota. 97.3 The Game – WRNW-Milwaukee begins its fourth season as the flagship station of the Packers Radio Network. For a map and full listing of radio affiliates, go to packers.com/video/radio-network. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst), and three-time Packers Pro Bowler John Kuhn (sideline reporter) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 31st season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 27th season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
• The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio on channel 82 or 228 or through the app (Packers Radio Network feed).
• Compass Media Networks will be broadcasting the game on radio to a national audience with Bill Rosinski (play-by-play) and Steve Beuerlein (analyst) on the call.

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Packers vs. Lions:

• All-time, regular season: 104-78-7
• All-time, postseason: 2-0 (1-0 at Lambeau)
• All-time, regular season at home: 61-30-4 (35-16-3 at Lambeau)
• Streaks: Green Bay has won 24 of the last 30 regular-season meetings at Lambeau Field.
• Last meeting, regular season: Dec. 5, 2024, Ford Field, Lions won, 34-31

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 67-33-0, .670; (3-5 postseason); 7th NFL season
• Dan Campbell: 44-35-1, .556; (2-2 postseason); 6th NFL season
• Head to Head: LaFleur 2-6 vs. Campbell
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 6-6 vs. Lions; Campbell 6-2 vs. Packers

MATT LaFLEUR…In his seventh season as the Packers' 15th head coach.

• Is in his 17th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
• In his first six seasons leading the Packers, has authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, his 67 wins are the second most in league history by a head coach in his first six seasons in the NFL, trailing only George Seifert (75 in 1989-94). Green Bay's 67-33 regular-season record since 2019 is No. 4 in the NFL and ranks No. 1 in the NFC.
• Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed Seifert (38) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in league history, trailing only Andy Reid's 40 wins with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2020-22 and Mike Ditka's 40 wins with the Chicago Bears from 1985-87 (Elias).
• Led Green Bay to the playoffs last season for the fifth time in six years (tied for No. 3 in the NFL over that span), guiding the two youngest playoff teams in the NFL over the past 45 seasons in 2023 (weighted age of 25.25) and 2024 (25.72).
• In his first season leading the Packers in 2019, became the first coach in club history to guide the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven wins).

DAN CAMPBELL…In his fifth season as the Lions' 28th head coach.

• Has 27 years of NFL experience, including 16 years as a coach and 11 as a player. Prior to joining Detroit, most recently served as an assistant head coach/tight ends coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2016-2020.
• Helped the Lions set franchise records in 2024 with 15 wins, 70 touchdowns scored and 564 points scored.
• Helped guide the Lions to back-to-back NFC North titles for the first time in franchise history in 2023-24.
• Is the fifth former Lions player to be named a fulltime head coach for the team and the first since Joe Schmidt, who played for Detroit from 1953-65 and served as the head coach from 1967-72.

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE PACKERS-LIONS SERIES

• This is the 94th consecutive season these two franchises have met, playing each other at least twice every season since 1932.
• Green Bay's 104 regular-season wins over Detroit are the team's second-most wins over a single opponent behind only the Packers' 107 wins over Chicago.
• The Packers won 29 of the first 38 matchups in the series (1930-49) before the Lions reeled off 11 straight wins over a six-year span (1949-54).

CONNECTIONS

Packers players and staff from Michigan: Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is from Mount Pleasant, Mich., and went to Mount Pleasant High School...DL Karl Brooks is from Lansing, Mich., and attended Lansing Sexton High School…CB Kamal Hadden was born in Ypsilanti, Mich., and attended River Rouge (Mich.) High School… Packers players and staff who played college football in Michigan: LaFleur played wide receiver at Western Michigan (1998-99) and quarterback at Saginaw Valley State (2000-02)…Packers DL Rashan Gary (2016-18) played at Michigan…Packers WR Jayden Reed began his collegiate career at Western Michigan (2018) and finished it at Michigan State (2020-22)…Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich played at Michigan (2002-05)…Packers DBs coach Ryan Downard played at Eastern Michigan (2007-10)…Packers coaches who have coached in Michigan: LaFleur was an offensive assistant at Saginaw Valley State (2003), a graduate assistant at Central Michigan (2004-05) and a QBs/WRs coach at Northern Michigan (2006)…Stenavich was a strength and conditioning intern (2011) and a graduate assistant (2012- 13) for the Wolverines…Packers RBs coach Ben Sirmans coached at Michigan State for two seasons (2005-06)... Senior assistant Luke Getsy was WRs coach at Western Michigan in 2013…Packers staff with connections to Michigan: Packers chief of staff Darryl Franklin spent three years as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan… Former Lions: Franklin was a player personnel intern with the Lions in 2008...Former Packers: Lions QBs coach Mark Brunell was selected by the Packers in the fifth round (No. 118 overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft and spent the first two seasons of his career (1993-94) in Green Bay…Lions senior personnel executive John Dorsey spent 21 years as an executive with the Packers (1991-98, 2000-12) and 77 also played in 76 games for the Packers from 1984-88… Lions head equipment manager Tim O'Neil spent six seasons as an equipment assistant in Green Bay (1995-2000) and is the uncle of Packers LBs coach Sean Duggan… Lions assistant strength and conditioning coach Thadeus Jackson spent 14 seasons with the Packers as a strength and conditioning asssitant coach (2010-23)...Notable NFL connections: LaFleur was the offensive coordinator for the Rams in 2017 when Lions QB Jared Goff was on the roster and when Lions executive V.P. and general manager Brad Holmes served as the Rams' director of college scouting…Goff also crossed paths with Packers QBs coach Sean Mannion, special teams quality control coach Cory Harkey and offensive assistant Jeremiah Kolone in his time with the Rams…LaFleur was offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans in 2018 when Lions WR Kalif Raymond played there…LaFleur was QBs coach for the Washington Redskins when Lions RBs coach Tashard Choice played there in 2011…Lions defensive assistant Jim O'Neil served as the Raiders' DBs coach in 2019-20 when Packers CB Keisean Nixon played for the team… Nixon, Packers CB Nate Hobbs, RB Josh Jacobs, assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia and assistant special teams coach Byron Storer were with the Raiders in 2021 when Lions offensive coordinator John Morton and CB Amik Robertson were with the team… Storer, Bisaccia, passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley, Nixon and Jacobs also crossed paths with Jim O'Neil when he was with the Raiders from 2018-20…Storer played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Bisaccia was on Tampa Bay's coaching staff when Lions offensive assistant Bruce Gradkowski played there in 2007...Getsy was offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears when Lions RB David Montgomery and EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad played for the Bears in 2022…Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and Downard were on the Cleveland Browns' defensive coaching staff when Jim O'Neil was defensive coordinator there from 2014-15…Bisaccia was assistant head coach/special teams coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys when Choice was a coaching intern with the Cowboys in 2016…Choice played for the Buffalo Bills when Packers passing game coordinator Jason Vrable was an offensive quality control coach there in 2013… Vrable was an offensive assistant for the New York Jets in 2017 when Morton, Lions defensive line coach/run game coordinator Kacy Rodgers and Raymond were with the Jets in 2017…Packers K Brandon McManus crossed paths with Lions assistant special teams coach Jett Modkins, OL Graham Glasgow and Raymond when McManus played for the Denver Broncos from 2014-22…Hafley coached DBs for the San Francisco 49ers when Lions CB D.J. Reed played there in 2018…Hafley and Packers assistant defensive line coach Vince Oghobaase worked with Jim O'Neil when he was the 49ers' defensive coordinator in 2016... Notable college connections: Packers DL Lukas Van Ness, Lions LB Jack Campbell and TE Sam LaPorta were teammates at Iowa…Jacobs was teammates with Lions DB Brian Branch and WR Jameson Williams at Alabama… Gary and Lions EDGE Aidan Hutchinson were teammates at Michigan in 2018…Lions OL Graham Glasgow crossed paths with Stenavich at Michigan from 2011-13…Lions OL Tate Ratledge was teammates with Packers' DL Devonte Wyatt, TE John FitzPatrick, LB Quay Walker, S Javon Bullard, DL Nazir Stackhouse, DL Warren Brinson and assistant OL coach Eddie Gordon at Georgia…Brinson, Stackhouse and Bullard were also teammates with Lions WR Dominic Lovett at Georgia.