GREEN BAY – The current games of the Packers and Lions cannot be closer in the league rankings.

So far in 2024, Green Bay has averaged 156.9 yards per game, good for fifth in the league. Detroit is right behind at 156.7, in sixth place.

But the way these two NFC North rivals operate on the ground presents quite a contrast when they face off at Lambeau Field on Sunday with first place in the division on the line.

Starting with Detroit, the Lions have a true two-headed backfield monster in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. They split the carries (Gibbs has 92 rushes, Montgomery 93) and touchdowns (Gibbs six, Montgomery seven) almost exactly, which adds up to 1,006 rushing yards.

With their different body types and running styles, they are a classic one-two punch.

Gibbs is a 5-9, 202-pound speedster and a “home run hitter,” head coach Matt LaFleur said, pointing out he had TD runs of 45 and 70 yards in the Lions' last two games.

Meanwhile, Montgomery, 5-11, 230-pound freight train, is considered “one of the most physical defenders in the league,” LaFleur said. “You better have a plan of attack when you approach this guy because he's going to try to run you over.”

The Packers are very familiar with both. Gibbs is only in his second NFL season, but during his college days at Georgia Tech (before transferring to Alabama), defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley met him twice as head coach at Boston College.

Hafley recalled Gibbs returning an opening kick for a touchdown in one of those games and thought his professional future was bright. The key to slowing him down is to stop him and change direction and direct him to where the defense has more pursuit.

“It's going to be about making alignments, being precise with them, understanding the leverage you want to have on the ball carrier and then setting the edges,” Hafley said of dealing with Gibbs. “You have to set edges and send the ball back. If this guy gets the perimeter and doesn’t have to stutter his feet, there’s a chance he’ll be gone.”

For Montgomery, this is the 10th game of his career against Green Bay, dating back to his earlier years with Chicago. His best performance came in the first Packers-Lions game last season in Week 4, when he rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries.

That's the kind of workhorse performance Josh Jacobs delivered for Green Bay before Gibbs found his footing as a rookie and became a bigger part of things, as the most impactful free-agent addition to date on offense.

Jacobs has carried the ball 145 times this season, joining Baltimore's Derrick Henry for the most players in the league to have a single defender. His 667 yards rank fourth.

Next up on the Packers' workload is second-year pro Emanuel Wilson, who has 51 carries for 226 yards. He and newcomer Chris Brooks have complemented and spelled Jacobs when needed, but there's no question who's starring in Green Bay.

“Josh was a consistent force for us all season long, just making these great runs, going 4, 5, 6 yards and then of course we fed him until he broke the big throw like he did did,” said quarterback Jordan Love , referring to Jacobs’ season-long 38-yard TD run in Jacksonville last week.

“He’s a very talented runner and has a knack for making guys miss. He is very elusive. Obviously the touchdown numbers may not be right, but it’s a very important part of our offense and helps us get going.”

Those touchdowns could come, though. Prior to last week, Jacobs had just one rushing TD (while also recently receiving his first career touchdown) until his 25-carry, 127-yard day involving Love and backup QB Malik Willis , two on the ground against the Jaguars essentially scored a half apiece.

Whichever QB is under center on Sunday, Jacobs will be ready to do whatever is asked of him. He missed practice on Wednesday because he suffered a tender ankle in the game in Jacksonville and is officially questionable on the injury report, but he promised he will be fine.

In short, the 5-10, 223-pounder thrives on work. In Willis' first start for the Packers in Week 2, Jacobs was at his workhorse best, rushing 32 times for 151 yards, becoming the first Green Bay running back to carry more than 30 carries in a game in 16 years (Ryan Grant, 2008). ).

His tenacity and professional approach have not gone unnoticed. The respect the 2022 NFL Rushing Champion has earned in the Packers' locker room in a short amount of time is evident.

“I don’t think I could single out anyone else on this team who trains harder than him, who runs harder than him,” receiver Christian Watson said. “We see it every day.”

Watson remembers watching Jacobs at both Alabama and the Raiders and seeing “a physical defender who can break any tackle,” and now that he sees it up close, “it's a lot crazier.”

A dedicated downfield blocker in the run game who accompanied Jacobs into the end zone on his 38-yard score last week, Watson joked that it's actually harder for a back like Jacobs to block because he never knows how long he'll be up there will remain.

“It's a blessing to have a running back who can make big plays at any time,” Watson said.

Despite the differences in the ground games of these two teams, this thought applies to everyone involved.