Thanksgiving Day kicks off Week 13, and it gets started with an NFC North rivalry as the Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) visit Motown to battle the Detroit Lions (7-4).
Both teams are chasing the first-place Chicago Bears (8-3), and the Packers already have one victory over the Lions, having beaten them 27-13 in Week 1 in Green Bay. It’s a fight for divisional and playoff positioning that should be an entertaining Turkey Day matchup.
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The Packers were able to keep pace in the division and push Minnesota further behind by beating the Vikings easily in Week 12, 23-6. Despite a quiet day from quarterback Jordan Love, 14 of 21 for 139 yards, Green Bay got a huge contribution from running back Emanuel Wilson. In place of Josh Jacobs, Wilson rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns.
The Packers defense handled the rest, sacking Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy five times and intercepting him twice. They’ll need to keep that going against this explosive Detroit offense.
It took overtime in Week 12 for Detroit to get past the New York Giants, but they got the job done, 34-27. Jahmyr Gibbs was the big story in this game, rushing for 219 yards, two touchdowns and another 11 receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown. If the defense can hold up against Green Bay, Detroit could be in for some tasty home cooking.
Packers-Lions start time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Ford Field | Detroit, Michigan
TV channel, live stream: Fox, NFL+
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Packers and Lions open up the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day game slate in Week 13:
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Kate Magdziuk
With less than 90 minutes remaining until the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions kick off on Thanksgiving, each team has announced its Week 13 inactives for gameday.
Here’s a look:
Packers inactives
Lions inactives
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Christian Watson, who suffered an ACL tear in Week 18, spoke about his recovery from the injury on Fox pregame.
“It’s just been a confidence thing,” Watson said. “Throughout the process, I just stayed ten toes through it all and I was making sure I was still catching footballs when I couldn’t run around or anything.”
Watson returned to the field in late October, after signing a one-year deal with Green Bay in September.
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Kate Magdziuk
Packers starting running back Josh Jacobs is officially set to return to the lineup in Week 13 after missing one game with a knee injury.
He suffered the injury back in Week 11 against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. He was critical of the turf’s surface, which has been the site of several high-profile (and long-term) injuries, including those to Aaron Rodgers (Achilles), Malik Nabers (ACL) and Nick Bosa (ACL), among others.
“Definitely the worst. Always been the worst. I know if I ever play there again, I will never talk about it because I talked about it all week, how bad it was, and it bit me in the ass,” Jacobs commented on the field surface at MetLife.
UDFA Emanuel Wilson got the start in his place, and he posted a career game in Jacobs’ absence, totaling 125 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 30 total touches. It was just the first time in his career that he totaled more than 15 touches in a single game.
Though Jacobs has already hit double-digit touchdowns, he’s averaging the second-lowest yards per carry average in his career at 3.8, and is still seeking his first 100-plus rushing-yard game.
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Ryan Young
Frank Ragnow is back.
The longtime Detroit Lions center is coming out of retirement to join the franchise again, the Lions announced on Wednesday. It’s unclear when Ragnow will actually make his debut with the team again, but he is “in shape and ready to roll sooner, rather than later,” according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Ragnow, a four-time Pro Bowler, had been away from the Lions during OTAs this past summer, and there was speculation that he was unhappy with his contract. Ragnow was signed through the 2026 season, and was due to make a little more than $9 million in 2025.
But Ragnow, 29, instead opted to retire from the league completely in June after seven seasons with the franchise. The Lions first selected him with the No. 20 overall pick in 2018 out of Arkansas, and he’s been the cornerstone of their offensive line ever since.
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Andy Backstrom
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, who ranks second on the team with 40 receptions this season and is a key part of what’s been a 12 personnel-heavy offense, is unlikely to return from injured reserve this season, according to head coach Dan Campbell.
Campbell told reporters Friday that the third-year standout had back surgery, a procedure that went “really well long-term” but will sideline him “for a while.”
“I think we would be fortunate to have a chance to get him back for the rest of the season at some point,” Campbell said. “I think that’s very, very slim.”
LaPorta went on IR last week ahead of a 16-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Adding insult to injury, backup TE Brock Wright, a key asset in the blocking game, was also ruled out for Week 13 with a neck injury.
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Kate Magdziuk
The Packers have been without former second-round WR Jayden Reed since he suffered a broken collarbone on a negated touchdown play in Week 2.
Head coach Matt LaFleur had been coy about whether Reed would play in Week 13, but was ruled out on Wednesday.
Reed had his practice window opened last week, giving the team 21 days to add him to the 53-man roster, or else he’d be done for the year. He practiced in a limited capacity leading up to Week 13.
Reed was off to a promising start in his young career, totaling 1,932 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns through his first 33 games played.
Though the Packers have generally hesitated to lead on a single “WR1” since the departure of Davante Adams, Reed led the team in receiving yards in each of his first two NFL seasons.