Lions–Packers

The Rivalry

The series dates to 1930, when Green Bay routed the Portsmouth Spartans, the team that would move to Detroit and rebrand as the Lions in 1934. Since 1932 the two clubs have met at least twice a season without a single missed year, an unbroken run no other NFL pairing can claim. Green Bay dominated the early decades, but Detroit answered with a strong stretch in the 1950s. The matchup grew sharper through the Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers eras, when the Packers built a lengthy edge in the overall series. The geography keeps it heated: in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where the clubs split fan loyalty so cleanly the game earned the nickname "Yooper Bowl."

What's at Stake

Both teams sit in the NFC North, so every meeting carries division-standing weight, and recent seasons have made the games genuinely competitive again after years of Green Bay control. The fan-base split is unusually personal: Wisconsin backs the Packers, Michigan backs the Lions, and the Upper Peninsula is carved between them.

Famous Moments

• 1962 — Detroit handed the previously unbeaten Packers a 26-14 Thanksgiving Day loss, long remembered as the "Thanksgiving Day Massacre."
• 1994 — Green Bay won the rivalry's first playoff meeting 28-24.
• 2011 — Matt Flynn threw six touchdown passes in an 86-point shootout, the highest-scoring game in the series.
• 2015 — Aaron Rodgers' 61-yard Hail Mary on the final play won it 27-23, the "Miracle in Motown."
• 2018 — Detroit shut out Green Bay 31-0 at Lambeau Field.

Plan the Trip

This is a true bucket-list trip for football historians. Green Bay's Lambeau Field, the league's most storied venue, sits in a small Wisconsin city built around its team, while Detroit's domed Ford Field anchors a revitalized downtown. Catching the longest-running rivalry in the NFL — ideally a Thanksgiving edition in Detroit — pairs easily with a Great Lakes road trip.

Sources

• Lions–Packers rivalry, Wikipedia
• Miracle in Motown, Wikipedia