Packers coach Matt LaFleur and Lions coach Dan Campbell have kept their focus on preparation rather than trading barbs. LaFleur called Detroit a strong team that Green Bay will need to play its best to beat on the road. Campbell likewise praised the Packers’ players and coaches, while stressing that divisional games are essential to a team’s goals.

Three matchups could help decide the game.

**Containing Jahmyr Gibbs**

Green Bay’s defense has reason to look back at its Week 3 loss to Atlanta. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson gained 194 yards and scored twice in a 35-14 win, exposing problems with the Packers’ run defense and tackling.

Detroit’s Gibbs is a different challenge, with speed and elusiveness as a runner and a role in the passing game. He entered the week fifth in the NFL with 504 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 105 carries. The Packers have contained him in six previous meetings, holding him to 289 yards on 74 carries and one touchdown, but safety Xavier McKinney said the defense knows it must improve on its showing against Atlanta.

Packers nickelback Javon Bullard said the key is having all 11 defenders do their jobs, from setting the edge to filling gaps. That task became more difficult when linebacker Zaire Franklin, a co-captain and defensive signal-caller, injured his shin in a collision during Thursday’s practice. Green Bay did get defensive tackle Jordon Riley back, activating him Saturday after a season-ending Achilles injury last year.

**Turnovers versus precision**

Green Bay entered Week 7 leading the NFL with nine interceptions, already more than the team recorded all of last season. Evan Williams and rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse each picked off Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott the previous week. McKinney led the Packers with three interceptions, with Williams next at two.

Detroit quarterback Jared Goff had yet to throw an interception in 191 attempts. LaFleur, who coached Goff with the Los Angeles Rams in 2017, credited him with getting the ball out quickly and placing it accurately. Goff’s receivers and tight ends, LaFleur said, have earned his trust.

Bullard said Green Bay’s priority is to create takeaways and return the ball to Packers quarterback Jordan Love. But Goff’s clean record presents a direct test for a defense that has made interceptions a strength.

**A tactical chess match**

The teams’ preparation also features familiarity between Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who previously worked together in Minnesota and Arizona. Gannon described Detroit’s offense as creative and difficult to read, saying it can punish defenses whether they choose an aggressive or conservative approach.

The numbers underline the challenge. Detroit entered Sunday’s games tied for first in scoring at 32.8 points per game, fourth in total offense at 393.8 yards per game and tied for third in red-zone touchdown rate at 77.27%. Green Bay’s defense ranked 10th in points allowed, at 20.8 per game, and eighth in total yards allowed, at 307.7.

Goff said familiarity between the coaches cuts both ways: each knows what the other may be anticipating. Ultimately, he said, the outcome will depend on the players and how their teams use them.