APPLETON, WIS. -- It doesn’t get much better than this to open the regular season.
The Detroit Lions will face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in a Week 1 matchup between the two favorites inside the NFC North. Detroit has owned the Packers in recent years, winning three in a row from Lambeau Field, not to mention six out of their last seven meetings.
Let’s dive into three burning questions ahead of Sunday afternoon’s game:
### **What to expect from Aidan Hutchinson’s return and the team’s pass rush?**
Aidan Hutchinson has been waiting for this moment for nearly 11 months. Hutchinson’s return to action in training camp and joint practice has made it clear that he’s recovered and ready to pick up where he left off.
Hutchinson left off in a pretty special place, too, with 7.5 sacks and 45 quarterback pressures through parts of only five games last year. He spoke about hoping this weekend’s game is the last of the injury talk from fans and the media, because it’s something he moved past a while ago.
The last time Hutchinson played against the Packers came in 2023, when he posted a combined 13 pressures across those two games. The Packers are rolling with the same offensive tackles from those games in Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker.
But after an offseason full of edge rusher questions, there will be eyes on more than Hutchinson in the opener. Marcus Davenport is coming off a strong camp after suffering a season-ending injury in Week 2 last year. Behind Davenport and Hutchinson are Al-Quadin Muhammad and the new addition, Tyrus Wheat, on the depth chart.
The Lions love to move their pieces around on the defensive line, but without Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill, how those pieces get moved around to open the year is something to watch. Detroit has a ton of confidence in Davenport’s ability to be Hutchinson’s running mate.
“He’s done exactly what we’ve asked him to do. He’s got some versatility with his ability to play, really in all the packages that we have,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “There’s nothing more that he needs to show me. I know he can do it all. He’s doing everything he can to take care of his body, and he went through a rigorous offseason to try to help all of that, which is a credit to him to put the work in. He’s in a good place right now.
“Him opposite of Hutch, it’s pretty good right now. So, I think he just continues on the trajectory he’s at right now and just takes it one day at a time. I’m glad we got him.”
### **How will the Lions deploy their backfield this year?**
“We’ll see.”
Those were the words of new offensive coordinator John Morton when asked about the potential split between David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions have also worked with Gibbs as a pass-catcher throughout the summer, so more two-back sets should be on the horizon.
Last season, the Lions ran only 10 plays with both Montgomery and Gibbs on the field at the same time. It’s one of those things that always gets asked, dating back to the D’Andre Swift-Jamaal Williams duo, but never seems to take off once the season starts rolling.
That said, the Lions have something special in Gibbs, and they know it. They also know Montgomery is an integral piece of the operation and has proven he has a hungry mouth worth feeding. Before Montgomery’s knee injury down the stretch, the split was impressively even. Gibbs ran the ball 186 times and caught 39 passes, while Montgomery carried the rock 185 times and caught 36 balls during those first 14 games.
Gibbs ended up leading the NFL in rushing scores (16) and added four more through the air. He is a potential home run every time he touches the ball, and has entered elite territory at his position across the league. Montgomery has 1,790 yards and 25 touchdowns through his first two seasons in Detroit, which is nothing to scoff at.
Expect Gibbs to play more snaps and touch the ball a little more this season, but it feels like another 1A and 1B type of share in the backfield.
### **Will Isaac TeSlaa get some chances on offense?**
An illness interrupted the start of the rookie’s first week of regular-season practices. But Isaac TeSlaa has been back to end the week, and Campbell expects him to be ready to roll against the Packers.
And with Tim Patrick now residing in Jacksonville, there is a clear path for TeSlaa and Kalif Raymond to be the receivers behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams (and tight end Sam LaPorta) for targets and snaps.
The third-round rookie has been one of the most talked-about players after an impressive training camp and preseason. TeSlaa is a physical, athletic receiver who seems to love the dirty work and blocking anyone in his path. His ascent made it easier to move Patrick after setting the initial roster, and he feels ready and able to see the field to open the campaign.
“He got better every single day, carried over to the game, we thought he did an unbelievable job,” Morton said of TeSlaa. “He’s a smart kid, he’s tough, there are some good things that he can do that’s going to help us this year. He took advantage of the opportunity when Tim (Patrick) was out. Tim will be missed. I was around Tim in Denver. I love him. He was an unbelievable teammate and wish him the best.”
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