Green Bay Packers expected to back Aaron Jones for Thanksgiving game
When the Green Bay Packers visit the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, running back Aaron Jones will likely be sidelined with a knee injury.
Jones injured his left knee on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. He was worried about a torn ACL, but an MRI showed it was just a sprained ACL. Head coach Matt LaFleur said Jones won't go on IR, but he's unlikely to play Thursday.
It's comforting that this is not a long-term thing," LaFleur said."We're going to figure this out somehow. "
An ailing Jones missed several games early in the season with a hamstring injury. He only played in 7 games this season, rushing for 245 yards, 66 times and 2 touchdowns. He also had 19 receptions and one receiving touchdown.
The depleted Packers will likely get A.J. to start. Dillon ran back Thursday. Rookie backup Emmanuel Wilson suffered a shoulder injury and is listed as questionable. The Packers recently promoted Patrick Taylor from the practice squad.
Dillon leads the Packers with 405 yards and 117 carries this season but has just one touchdown.
Packers and Lions meet for conference championship game on Turkey Day
The Lions host a Thanksgiving game, which has become a holiday tradition since its inception in 1934. There will be three games on Turkey Day this year, with the Lions and Packers kicking off the festivities.
The Lions are -7.5 against the Packers. They have one of the best betting records in the NFL this season, going 7-3 against the spread (ATS).
The Packers are 5-5 ATS. They started the season with a 3-0 ATS record but have since gone 1-5 ATS in their last six games.
The Packers are +3 at home when they host the Lions in Week 4 on Thursday Night Football. The Lions won easily 34-20.
The Packers trailed 27-3 at halftime and gave up the run game in the second half. The Packers rushed for 27 yards and Jones led the team with 18 yards on just five carries.
On offense, we just need to get started faster overall," quarterback Jordan Love said."We didn't get off to a fast start, we were a little behind and had a hard time running the ball. "We got into a situation where we had to throw the ball. We just had to get going faster."
Love completed 23 of 36 passes for 246 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The Lions sacked Love five times.
Senior running back David Montgomery rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns in the Lions' victory.Rookie running back Jameer Gibbs added 51 yards from scrimmage for the Lions. Star wide receiver Amon-Ra St Brown had five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.
In the rematch, the Packers will do their best to get ahead of the game and catch up with the Lions.
Packers still eyeing wild cards
The Packers (4-6) are third in the NFC North, behind the first-place Lions (8-2) and second-place Minnesota Vikings (6-5 ). If the season ended today, the Lions would be the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, while the Vikings would be the No. 7 wild-card team.
The Packers are on the playoff bubble and currently ranked eighth in the league. The Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also 4-6, but know they must win their remaining seven games of the season if they hope to meet other six-win wild-card teams. Achieve a near-perfect record. The Seattle Seahawks hold off the sixth seed with a 6-4 record.
According to Upshot's playoff projections, the Packers have a 25% chance of making the playoffs, but less than a 1% chance of winning the Super Bowl.
The Packers can significantly improve their playoff chances with an upset win over the Lions on Thanksgiving. In December, the Packers will play the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and, on New Year's Eve, the Vikings. The Packers will end their season in Week 18 against their arch-rival Chicago Bears .
The Packers have a slim chance of winning the NFC North at +2,000 odds. The Lions are the big division favorite at -1100.
The Packers have a +290 chance of making the playoffs and a -380 chance of missing the playoffs.
The Packers are at the bottom of the NFL prospect list and have odds of +20,000 to win the Super Bowl.The Philadelphia Eagles were recently the betting favorite to win Super Bowl 58 at +450 odds.
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