Packers vs. Lions preview: Predictions, 5 things to watch

TEAMS: Green Bay Packers (4-3) vs. Detroit Lions (3-4).

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Monday.

WHERE: Lambeau Field.

TV: ESPN, WLUK Fox 11 (Green Bay), WISN ABC 12 (Milwaukee).

RADIO: AM-620 in Milwaukee, AM-1360 in Green Bay; Packers Radio Network.

SERIES: Packers lead, 98-68-7.

LINE: Lions by 2½.

WEATHER: Clear, high around 40.

SURFACE: DD GrassMaster.

COACHES: Green Bay’s Mike McCarthy (128-72-1) vs. Detroit Lions' Jim Caldwell (58-51-0)

LIVE GAME BLOG: Join Tom Silverstein for analysis and lively discussion

NFL: Live scoreboard, box scores

ROSTERS, STATS: Packers | Lions

5 THINGS TO WATCH

IT'S A SNAP: Long snapper Derek Hart would like to erase the memories of a nightmarish practice inside Lambeau Field on Aug. 6. The only way do it would be to get the job done as the Packers’ new long snapper. Kicker Mason Crosby missed six of his last seven attempts that night and has had Brett Goode and Taybor Pepper snapping during the season. Goode and Pepper (broken foot) are out and Hart is back. If the game comes down to a field goal, all eyes will be on Hart. “Any time you take young guys that haven't snapped in the National Football League, there's a learning curve,” special teams coach Ron Zook said. “That's kind of the way it is.”

ROLLING WITH THE OL: Having helped produce 413 yards and three touchdowns rushing in the last three games, you can bet the offensive line wants coach Mike McCarthy to keep calling run plays. The line should be back to full strength — the starters have played only 15 snaps together, all vs. Minnesota — but you can bet Detroit will be loading the box to stop rookie Aaron Jones. “I think in every lineman’s heart somewhere in there, (it’s) ‘let’s run it one more time instead of throwing,’” line coach James Campen said. “But they don’t complain about anything. They just do their job and go.”

ASSESSING THE OPTIONS: Don’t be surprised if the offense features more read-option with quarterback Brett Hundley as the season goes along. If teams use an extra defender in the box, the offense can even things up by adding the quarterback as a running threat. They aren’t going to want Hundley to be at risk a lot, but his size and speed make him a threat and defensive ends won’t be able to charge in from the backside if Hundley shows he’s willing to run with it. “We used to run a lot of zone read,” Jones said of his days at UTEP. “You can pick and choose (an option), even against a stacked box.”

BOTHERING BRETT: New Orleans did not blitz Hundley much in his first start, choosing to force him to throw into coverage, but the Lions like to bring an extra defender into the box and they aren’t afraid to pressure. On the defensive line, Haloti Ngata and Kerry Hyder were lost to season-ending injuries and end Ziggy Ansah is playing with knee and ankle injuries. They may need to pressure Hundley. "It's a young quarterback, so (if) you get after a young quarterback, that’s when they really struggle," Lions DT Akeem Spence told the Detroit Free Press. "They don’t know where to go to.”

FAMILIAR FACE: Based on the way Dom Capers moves players around, Lions guard T.J. Lang could be blocking a half dozen or more of his former teammates during the game. If the Packers are smart, they’ll focus their attention on beating center Travis Swanson and guard Graham Glasgow rather than Lang. The pair struggled against Pittsburgh last week while Lang has been his usual consistent self. “He’s had one little setback just in terms of dealing with his back but other than that, he’s done a great job for us,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said.

OUR PREDICTIONS

TOM SILVERSTEIN

As tough as it is to pick a team with an unproven quarterback, the fact Mike McCarthy has had two weeks to get Brett Hundley settled into a new-look offense gives the Packers a chance. It would help a lot if the defense could chip in something for a change, but that’s a big if. Packers 24, Lions 23

PETE DOUGHERTY

Big game for both teams in a wide-open NFC North race. The Packers (4-3) are looking to right the ship in Brett Hundley’s second start and have had their bye week to re-group; the Lions (3-4) have lost three straight. When in doubt, look to the QBs. Matthew Stafford rates a big edge for the Lions, so the guess here is he’ll make the difference. Lions 27, Packers 20

MICHAEL COHEN

Until Brett Hundley shows he can win a game, it’s hard to pick the Packers based on any tangible measure of logic. So, the Lions it is. Lions 27, Packers 19

RYAN WOOD

It’s a quarterback league, and for the second straight week, the Packers will be facing a franchise quarterback without their own. This game should be closer than the Packers' loss to the Saints. Matthew Stafford is not a Hall of Famer like Drew Brees, but he’s good enough to make one more play than Brett Hundley at the end of a close game. Lions 23, Packers 20

AARON NAGLER

There has been a lot of gnashing of teeth from Packers fans about Mike McCarthy's offensive approach with Brett Hundley at quarterback. While I don't think we'll see drastic changes in that regard, I do tend to think McCarthy will give Hundley more opportunities to make plays against the Lions instead of hiding him like he did against the Saints. The thinking here is that Hundley rewards his coach's faith in him and the Packers get a much-needed victory. Packers 27, Lions 23