NFL Detroit Lions

Which NFC North Foe is the Detroit Lions Arch Rival?

The Detroit Lions have been playing in the National Football League since 1930. They have played some great games and not so great games against many teams. What makes any of these teams an arch rival of the Detroit Lions?

It is the game talk, when the Lions have a week to practice and gear up for the game, and they talk about how much it will mean to them to beat this team. It is previous games, a prior loss that the Lions should have won. Sometimes it is due to controversy, in that previous game or games back that have carried over that have both teams blood boiling over one and other.

If you go back all the way to NFL beginnings rivals like between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, but if you consider after 1960 you can add the Vikings as a rival as well. The big problem of saying who the bigger rival of the Lions is all three teams’ average more than 24 wins against the Lions than losses.  The Packers have an 89-65 record against the Lions. The Bears have a 93 to 64 record against the Lions. Finally the Vikings have a 66 to 31 record against the Lions.  Summing this all up the Lions have a lot of anger built up and something to prove against these division teams. Now that they have a team that can dominate the NFC‘s Black and Blue division these teams will become their rivals.

However  if choosing one team to stir up fans and make a Lions victory even sweeter  the biggest rival would be the Packers. The Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers have played more games against each other consecutively than any other team in NFL history. They have played each other every season since 1932. We know the History of the Packers with their many championships, their hall of fame coach Vince Lombardi and their many hall of fame players. The fact is the Lions prevented the Green Bay Packers from going undefeated in 1962.

That’s right the undefeated Packers came in to Detroit for the annual Thanksgiving Day football game  hosted by the Lions. They not only beat the packers 26 to 14, they handed them their only loss during their second consecutive Championship run.  The press called the game “The Thanksgiving Massacre”. The Detroit Lions defense made life miserable for the Packer’s offense that day. Bart Star threw two interceptions and was under heavy pressure, the rest of the offense that was unstoppable before this game was held in check all day by the Lions defense.

The Green Bay Packers did not lose another game that season; they had the highest scoring offense. Many people forget that season the Detroit Lions had the number one defense in giving up total yards and stopping the run. They had big name players such Roger Brown, Joe Schmidt, and “Night Train” Lane, who were all first team selections and went to the Pro Bowl. Their record was 11-3 in 1962 but that Thanksgiving  Day Game is still talked about today. During the 2011 season’s Thanksgiving  Day matchup the Packers won convincingly. What was talked about after the game was Ndamukong Suh stepping on Evan Dietrich-Smith, and getting suspended for two games.

This only adds to fuel the fire of the Green Bay Packers and The Detroit Lions rivalry. The Packers have dominated the Lions throughout history, but the Lions have continued to get themselves motivated to play some of their best games in their history against the Packers. Today’s Detroit Lions are right there with the Packers fighting each other for the NFC North Crown and for Super Bowl berths in the upcoming seasons. This is why the Green Bay Packers are the Detroit Lions number one arch rival in the National Football League

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