Acme Packing Company
For our final preview of the Green Bay Packers’ 2025 regular season opener, Ryan Mathews of Pride of Detroit stopped by to answer a few questions about the Lions. Hope you enjoy it.
#1: How has the interior offensive line looked this summer? I know Graham Glasgow had some bad metrics last year, Christian Mahogany hardly played as a sixth-round rookie in 2024 and Tate Ratledge is a rookie this year.
Early on in the summer, for a few practices, the Lions rolled out rookie Tate Ratledge at center and put veteran Graham Glasgow back at right guard–where his metrics were outstanding in 2023 (finished with the eighth-best offense grade among guards, the fifth-best run-blocking grade per PFF). The Lions scrapped that quickly and moved Glasgow to center and Ratledge to right guard. That’s the same plan the Lions went with Frank Ragnow in his first season, coincidentally with Glasgow manning the center spot. The long-term plan seems to suggest that Detroit sees Ratledge playing center, but in the here and now, this is the best configuration for the middle of the offensive line. As for Christian Mahogany, he was very impressive in his two starts last season–one of them being the Lions playoff game for the injured Kevin Zeitler. Dan Campbell spoke to the fact that this group has some ways to grow, which doesn’t sound like a glowing endorsement on the surface, but he was quick to point out that the room to grow is, in fact, encouraging considering how green both Mahogany and Ratledge are.
#2: What’s the confidence level at defensive end? Starters Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport are coming off of injuries and there seems to be little depth behind them going into Week 1.
It’s been 11 months since people have seen Aidan Hutchinson play football, and from NFL media and fans alike, it’s pretty clear that their attention spans can be measured in nanoseconds. Hutchinson was on pace for Defensive Player of the Year consideration. He had 45 pressures in four and a half games. Rashan Gary finished the season, in 17 game appearances, with 47. Hutchinson was causing so many problems on the first day of joint practices with the Miami Dolphins that Tua Tagovailoa was routinely getting “sacked” and led to him voicing his “frustration” with his team’s lack of execution from the jump.
#3: Where do you think the Lions have the biggest advantage in this game?
Based on what you shared with me and my conversation with Good Guy Dusty Evely, it feels like the Lions still have the edge in defending the run against the Packers. The middle of Detroit’s defense is missing Alim McNeill, but a healthy DJ Reader, rookie first-round pick Tyleik Williams, and newcomer Roy Lopez from the Arizona Cardinals are a formidable trio in the middle. Meanwhile, the Lions linebackers, between Jack Campbell coming into his own as the team’s full-time MIKE, a motivated Alex Anzalone in a contract-season, and the...
