Eddie Lacy takes second-half surge to Detroit on Thursday night

Green Bay come into this game on 7-4 and have fallen behind the Minnesota Vikings, who have moved up to 8-3. The Lions will concentrate on stuffing the run and forcing the inaccurate Aaron Rodgers to beat them. That hasn’t happened over the past month, but it’ll happen on Thursday night. They are two of the most prolific passers in the game, but both offenses have struggled for various reasons this season.

Randall Cobb, who set career highs with 91 receptions, 1,287 yards receiving and 12 TDs last season, had just two TDs in an eight-game stretch going into the rematch with the Lions. There has to be some serious soul searching going on inside the Green Bay Packers’ locker room, and we asked our writers four questions to break it all down. Green Bay has lost four of five after a 6-0 start but The Gold Sheet handicapper Bruce Marshall leans to the Pack getting back on track in this one. The Lions are showing improvement but with a thin margin for error fail to capitalize on Green Bay’s vulnerability. With a win or a loss on Thursday night, you’ll find out exactly what this Lions team is. Detroit also is coming off its best offensive performance as Matthew Stafford threw for five touchdowns and 337 yards in a 45-14 demolition of Philadelphia on Thanksgiving Day. How could you not go with Aaron Rodgers in this game?

The Detroit Lions 1-7 start seems like a distant memory. Crabtree leads the team with 61 catches and six touchdowns, but Cooper is the team leader with 851 receiving yards on 58 receptions.

The thing is, I have no faith they are capable of doing much of anything at the moment. The Colts are still battling with the Texans atop the AFC South, but the Steelers are three games back of the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North. Pittsburgh’s only route to the postseason is as a wild-card team, which is why the Steelers need the win more than the Colts.

Instead of seeming tentative as Stafford was at least at times under Lombardi, he looks cool and confident when he drops back to pass to superstar Calvin Johnson, No. 2 receiver Golden Tate or shifty running back Theo Riddick. Starks has rushed for 429 yards this season and can be strong change of pace running back with Lacy.