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    Status uncertain for Lions vs. Packers
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    Status uncertain for Lions vs. Packers

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    The most important game in the NFC to date is the question of a team's quarterback position.

    The Detroit Lions travel to the Green Bay Packers in a crucial NFC North showdown on Sunday afternoon in Week 9, but who will play quarterback for Green Bay is unknown.

    When the Lions beat the Tennessee Titans 52-14 in Week 8 on Sunday, Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love suffered a groin injury in Green Bay's 30-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Packers head coach Matt LeFleur told reporters he has “no idea” about Love's status but that there is a “great deal of concern.”

    According to BetMGM, Green Bay is a 4½-point underdog against the Lions as of Monday afternoon, perhaps indicating that sportsbooks believe Love is more likely to miss the game. The Packers have a bye after the Lions game.

    LeFleur is expected to speak at his weekly news conference Monday in Green Bay.

    BEST READ: Everything is on the line for the Lions in their upcoming showdown with the Packers

    The Packers pulled off a comeback win with backup quarterback Malik Willis, moving to 6-2 and remaining half a game behind the Lions in the NFC North and NFC Playoff standings. On the first drive, Love appeared to tweak his groin as he landed awkwardly on his left leg as he lunged across his body toward Josh Jacobs. He stayed in, but left in the third quarter after a second visit to the blue medical tent and did not return to the game.

    If Love is unable to participate, Willis would make his third start of the season against Detroit. He filled in for Love in Weeks 2 and 3 after Love sprained his MCL in the final game of the Packers' season-opening loss to the Eagles in Brazil, leading the Packers to two wins over the Colts and Titans.

    Jordan Love injury status

    The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Love's injury is new and unrelated to the left knee injury that kept him out of those two games. It said Love will undergo another MRI on Monday, which will better illustrate the severity of the injury.

    Love has a 4-2 record this year and, in his second year as a starter, ranks seventh among quarterbacks in yards per game (257.8) with a 61.8% completion rate and a touchdown-to-interception ratio from 15 to 9. Last year he led the Packers as a wild card into the playoffs with a 9-8 record and reached the divisional round.

    As a starter, he has a 1-1 record against Detroit, with the Lions winning 34-20 in Green Bay early last year and the Packers winning 29-22 at Ford Field on Thanksgiving.

    PACKERS VIEW: Without preparation, Malik Willis makes another play to help the Packers win

    Who is Malik Willis, Packers backup QB?

    The Packers acquired Willis from the Titans late in the preseason to use him as a seventh-round pick to serve as Love's replacement. Willis led the Packers to a comeback victory with 17 points in the five series he played Sunday, including a last-minute drive to score a game-winning 24-yard field goal.

    Tennessee drafted Willis in the third round of the 2022 draft, but he only appeared in 11 games with three starts in two seasons with the Titans and didn't show enough for them to consider them their quarterback of the future. Green Bay signed him for a bargain deal in late August and he has completed 74.4% of his passes for 380 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions through three games.

    The Packers focused heavily on their running game when Willis was quarterback, but it worked as Jacobs rushed for 321 yards in games. Willis was featured prominently.

    Lions vs. Packers, what's at stake in the NFL playoff race

    The winner of the Lions-Packers battle will have early bragging rights in the division and conference. Both teams are embarking on an impressive winning streak: the Lions have won five in a row and the Packers have won four in a row.

    Required reading: The Lions appear to be the most dangerous team I've ever covered

    The Lions are atop the NFC – the No. 1 seed gets a first-round bye – but a Packers win could move them into a three-way tie for first place in the NFC North with the Lions and Minnesota Vikings, the Indianapolis Colts (4-4) in Week 9 on Sunday Night Football. All three teams would be 6-2 if the Packers beat the Lions and the Vikings beat the Colts.

    The teams would be tied at 1-1 against each other and in the division, but the Lions will hold the tiebreaker with a better conference record to date.

    The second meeting between the Lions and Packers will take place on Thursday evening, December 5th in Week 14 at Ford Field, one week after Thanksgiving.

    Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press, covering the city's professional teams, the state's two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22 and email him at [email protected].

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