Sometimes a win doesn’t feel like one. Green Bay walked out of Detroit with momentum, playoff positioning, and a road statement, yet the locker room mood shifted the moment Devonte Wyatt was taken away. Hours later, the celebration turned into concern, and by Friday morning, the outcome everyone feared became official.

Wyatt suffered a fractured left ankle on Thanksgiving and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero confirmed the diagnosis and timeline, noting the defensive tackle’s year is effectively over. 

“Packers DL Devonte Wyatt, who was carted off in yesterday’s win over the Lions, suffered a fractured ankle,” Rapoport said.

Matt LaFleur didn’t hide what he felt postgame. “It didn’t look good,” he said, adding he was “sick for him. Sick for us.” The Packers now lose a core piece of their defensive identity.

Wyatt was one of the most productive interior disruptors in Green Bay’s front. He totaled 27 tackles and four sacks this season, while generating 22 pressures in 10 games. His role alongside Micah Parsons created matchup nightmares. Without him, the structure shifts, and so does the ceiling. Help isn’t available in free agency, leaving replacements to come from within. Karl Brooks becomes the likely starter when healthy. Colby Wooden and rookies Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse follow, though none replicate Wyatt’s all-down impact.

LaFleur called the loss “critical.” The Packers’ pass rush now needs to prove it can generate consistent production; it hasn’t proven it can do so consistently. Lukas Van Ness could move inside when he returns, but even that depends on recovery from his foot injury. Depth now comes with uncertainty.

Still, as the defense absorbed bad news, the offense rewrote the tone of the day. Jordan Love made sure of it.

Jordan Love keeps Packers’ title push alive

Jordan Love didn’t need a full roster to make a statement this Thanksgiving. Even with several receivers out and Detroit fighting to hold onto its division title, Green Bay’s quarterback lit up the Lions once again, throwing for four touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s proving to be one of the most efficient passers in the league. This victory keeps the Packers right on Chicago’s tail in the NFC North, now just half a game behind.

The performance came without Tucker Kraft, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, and Savion Williams. Yet Love extended his Thanksgiving dominance to nine touchdowns and zero picks in three years. “You’ve got to come in and win these games,” he said afterward. Thursday proved he could do it short-handed.

Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks carried the receiving load. Watson posted 80 yards and a 51-yard score, continuing his post-ACL climb with more touchdowns this year than all of last season. Wicks delivered his best game: seven catches, two touchdowns, and 94 yards, and sealed the win with a leaping fourth-down grab. Matt LaFleur never doubted his receiver’s hands. “I’ve never wavered,” he said. “He’s a natural plucker.”

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Execution made the difference. Green Bay allowed zero sacks. Three fourth-down attempts, three conversions. Just seven turnovers all season, none in the past three games. Penalties? Five total across two weeks.

There were dents. Detroit won early field position. Jared Goff threw for 256 yards and two scores. But the Packers met every counter with one of their own.

Now comes the real stretch: Bears twice in the next three weeks, with Denver wedged between. Win those, and the NFC North won’t just be up for grabs. It might belong to Jordan Love.