Analyzing Matchups in the Green Bay Packers' Week 13 Game with the Detroit Lions

While many cold, wintery NFL Week 13 games will be decided in the trenches where one team's linemen will impose their will on the other team's, it should be a slightly different story for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Thanksgiving.

Given the absolutely battered state of the Packers, and the fact that the Lions have a few key injuries of their own, several backups are going to have to step up for both sides. Whether it's Matt Flynn, Jarrett Boykin, Andrew Quarless or Davon House for Green Bay or Kris Durham, Israel Idonije or Bill Bentley for the Lions, each side will be able to zero in on weaknesses to take advantage of.

While all 11 spots on both sides of the ball are obviously extremely important, the three most important battles in this game feature six bona fide NFL stars, and whomever comes away with more snap wins in those one-on-one battles will give his team a clear leg-up on getting the win on Turkey Day.

Withour further ado, here are the three matchups in reverse order of importance for Thursday's fight for first place in the NFC North:

3. Tramon Williams versus Calvin Johnson

Perhaps injuries have forced Williams into the post-prime phase of his career a little quicker than he (and the Packers) may have liked, but he is still more than capable of taking on opposing teams' No. 1 wide receivers. But Johnson would be the No. 1 receiver on any team he played for, so this task is taller than most.

According to Pro Football Reference, Johnson has averaged nearly six catches, 100 yards and a touchdown in his career against Green Bay—very good numbers, but not very Megatron-like. While much of that is due to Dom Capers trying to limit his production, it's clear that Johnson has still been a big factor when these two teams get together.

Williams won't be expected to shadow Johnson all game. He'll get a lot of safety help from Morgan Burnett and M.D. Jennings, and Sam Shields and Davon House will even find themselves matched up against him from time to time. Green Bay's pass defense has looked awful the last two weeks, but Williams is the guy who has the best chance at making sure Megatron doesn't go off for 200-plus yards.

2. Josh Sitton versus Ndamukong Suh

This is a microcosm for what the Lions and Packers do best. Green Bay is going to try and blow holes open behind their best lineman Sitton to try and control the ball with Eddie Lacy bludgeoning Detroit's defensive second level. And when Matt Flynn drops back to pass, Suh and the Lions are going to be coming like gangbusters with the same pressure that gave him fits versus the Vikings last week.

Sure, Nick Fairley and T.J. Lang will also be banging heads all day as well, but Sitton versus Suh is Pro Bowler versus Pro Bowler. Green Bay has had some success getting inside Suh's head in the past to get him out of his game, but he has been an expert at disrupting Green Bay's passing game, even when MVP Aaron Rodgers was at the helm.

While it will likely be a team effort to neutralize Suh because he'll be moved up and down the line, Sitton is going to be charged with keeping him off Flynn all game. And because of the flaccid passing offense in recent weeks, Lacy has been the lone bright spot. If Sitton is unable to give the rookie lanes to run through, Suh, Fairley and the rest of the Detroit line will be able to pin their ears back and make it a long afternoon for the Pack.

1. Reggie Bush versus A.J. Hawk

Not only does the result of the game depend heavily on this pairing, it is also clearly the most underrated and least talked-about matchup leading up to this Week 13 clash. Bush has been the 1B to Johnson's 1A in the Detroit offense in 2013. Bush has been a fantasy football stud this year, even after shooting up high stakes fantasy football draft boards like the Fantasy Football Players Championship in early September. He's opened up opportunities for Johnson, and vice versa, making the Lions one of the toughest teams to game plan against.

Hawk, meanwhile, has arguably been the Packers defensive MVP this year. In a season that's seen Datone Jones, Clay Matthews, Brad Jones, Nick Perry, Casey Hayward, Morgan Burnett and Sam Shields miss time, Hawk has been the constant, thumping running backs, wrapping up on tackles and even forcing turnovers and breaking up passes every game.

While Hawk isn't quick enough to stay with Bush in coverage, he is talented enough in making sure Bush doesn't break off any big plays against Green Bay that would soften up the rest of the defense. If Hawk is able to keep Bush under wraps, then Green Bay can bracket Johnson more in the passing game. But if he's not able to get his hands on Bush, turkey won't be the only thing the Lions will be feasting on Thanksgiving Day.