The Green Bay Packers, at 9-3, are playing one of the biggest games of the 2024 NFL season tonight. Playing on Thursday night for the second week in a row (after having beaten the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving), Green Bay will meet the 11-1 Detroit Lions, who lead both the NFC North and NFC as a whole.
In short, if the Packers are to have any hope of winning the division, they need to defeat the Lions on the road tonight. The good news is that they already are a near lock to earn a Wild Card in the NFC, but their seeding will depend on the result of this game as well as their four remaining contests after.
The Green Bay Packers Will Be Without Jaire Alexander and Corey Ballentine
Unfortunately for the Packers, they will be facing the Lions without several of their key players. Romeo Doubs is missing his second straight game after suffering a concussion in Green Bay’s Week 12 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
On defense, the Packers will be without starters Jaire Alexander and Edgerrin Cooper, as well as key reserve and special teams player Corey Ballentine.
Alexander is missing his third consecutive game as he attempts to come back from a torn PCL he suffered in Green Bay’s victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He attempted to come back from the injury against the Chicago Bears, but was unable to play more than 10 snaps.
Cooper is missing his third consecutive game after injuring his hamstring in practice before the 49ers game.
Ballentine is out with a knee injury.
Green Bay Packers Fans React to Kalen King Being Activated
Since Green Bay is going to be without two of their cornerbacks, the team made the decision to activate 2024 seventh-round draft pick Kalen King.
Once considered a possible first-round pick, King saw his stock drop dramatically in his senior season at Penn State. Many fans considered him one of the steals of the draft, but he did not make the 53-man roster and has been buried on the practice squad all season.
Until tonight.
Needless to say, fans are excited:
Kalen King pick 6 with the one snap he gets on defense today pic.twitter.com/9vEBqbfOhO
— cooper (@itsCooop) December 5, 2024
Kalen King pick to seal the game. pic.twitter.com/hYAZxzoAGz
— Dadrian🧀 (@KingDay__) December 6, 2024
BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE…
Time to get a look at Kalen King… I’m actually pretty excited about what he may bring to the table tonight… He’s the type of aggressive in your face slot-player I’d let follow St. Brown and see what he can do being a pest on him all night… YES, I… https://t.co/7JIo51fnGp— Tazim Wajid Wajed (@NFLHitman33) December 5, 2024
Good for Kalen King. Not sure how much he’ll play on defense or special teams tonight for the Packers, but the first snaps of his career—if any—are going to come in his hometown of Detroit.
— Zachary Jacobson (@zacobson) December 5, 2024
Kalen King szn!!
— Ken – Packers Cap (@KenIngalls) December 5, 2024
Happy Kalen King day everybody!
— Ross Uglem (@RossUglem) December 5, 2024
It remains to be seen how much King will play, but it is cool that he is making his NFL debut in his hometown.
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