GREEN BAY, Wis. — In the regular season, the Detroit Lions got the better of the Green Bay Packers. Beat them twice, including 34-31 Thursday night in Detroit.

It was the 11th straight victory for the Lions. Jake Bates won it in the final seconds with a 35-yard field goal.

With just four games left in the regular season, the Lions are 12-1 and the Packers are 9-4.

Plus, Detroit swept both meetings to secure the tiebreaker.

The odds are heavy that the Lions will win the NFC North Division and the Packers will be a wild card team for the second straight year.

That means if these teams do meet in the NFC playoffs, the game will be at Ford Field in Detroit.

Ironically, the Lions’ only loss was at home to Tampa Bay. They’re good, but they’re not unbeatable.

Still, a Detroit defense playing guys just signed did enough to win a thriller Thursday night.

That’s not exactly encouraging, but all the Packers can hope for is another shot at the Lions in January. Maybe the third time will be the charm.