Detroit Lions (6-1) at Green Bay Packers (6-2)

When: Sunday, 2:25 p.m. MST

Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

TV: FOX

Why you don’t want to miss it: Because it’s a battle for the NFC North in a division that’s shaping up to be the strongest of any in the NFL. It’s the only one in the league where all four teams have at least four wins and these two rivals are at the top of the heap and ready to duke it out in what is shaping up to be a rainy day at Lambeau.

The Lions have won five straight, which started with their 20-13 victory at the Cardinals in Week 3. They’re averaging 43 points in their last four games, including last week’s 52-14 rout of the Titans.

Quarterback Jared Goff has been fantastic during the win streak, completing 88 of 106 passes for an 83.0 completion percentage. He’s also had a 146.5 passer rating during the streak. If he’s able to play at that type of pace against the Packers, Goff will set NFL records for the best completion percentage and highest passer rating ever during a six-game stretch.

Who wins NFL Week 9 game? Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers picks, predictions, odds

To date, those two marks are held by Peyton Manning (78.3 in 2008) and Brock Purdy (138.1 in 2023).

Goff will be tested by a Green Bay secondary that swarms to the ball and already has 10 touchdowns as a unit overall. Safety Xavier McKinney leads the league with six picks, the most by a player in his first eight games with a team since Darren Sharper joined the Saints in 2009 and had seven in his first eight games.

“Yeah, they’re good at it,” Goff told reporters. “They’re very ball aware, they’re coached well, they know where the ball’s at and they’re going after it and trying to make plays. It’s our job not to let them do that. We’ve done a pretty good job of that up to this point, but this will be a good challenge for us and we’ve got to do our job.”

Packers quarterback Jordan Love, meanwhile, is dealing with a groin injury he suffered during last week’s win over the Jaguars. He tried playing through it but left the game during the third quarter and was unable to return. Coach Matt LaFleur told reporters there’s a good chance Love plays against the Lions.

“If he can go, he’ll go,” LaFleur said. “We’ll see where he’s at by the end of the week. If we feel he can’t protect himself then we certainly wouldn’t put him in that position.”

Backup quarterback Malik Willis came off the bench to help secure the win over Jacksonville and he started and won two games after Love got injured in the season opener. Willis, acquired on Aug. 26 from the Titans in exchange for a seventh-round pick, isn’t looking ahead to see where his play might land him in 2025.

“I’m just enjoying the ride and take it one game at a time, one week at a time. That’s it,” he said.

Prediction: Lions 30, Packers 24

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers is NFL game that matters most