GREEN BAY – The Packers this week aren't preparing for the same Detroit Lions offense they've seen in recent years.

The Lions, with new head coach Matt Patricia, came into 2018 determined to develop the type of complementary running game that can take some of the playmaking pressure off of veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Despite a 1-3 overall record, the Lions are on their way to achieving that goal, and the Packers are expecting for the first time in a long while to face a Stafford-led offense that will line up and pound the ball on Sunday at Ford Field.

"That whole running back group changes their football team," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said of the trio of rookie Kerryon Johnson (pictured) and veterans LeGarrette Blount and Theo Riddick. "If you want to compare how they're playing offensively, there's a lot of the same players and the same system, but the emphasis on the run is there. There's no doubt."

The change to which McCarthy is referring lies in Detroit's rush offense rankings. For the last four years, from 2014-17, the Lions ranked anywhere from 28th in the league to dead last (twice) in rushing yards per game. They also ranked anywhere from 26th to 32nd in yards per carry.

This year, with an admittedly small sample size of four games, Detroit is ranked 20th in rushing yards and all the way up to seventh in yards per carry with a healthy 4.6 average.