The Green Bay Packers were able to overcome a ponderous start, but a sloppy defense that was missing multiple starters ran out of gas tardy and the Detroit Lions used scores on three of their final four possessions to escape Ford Field with a 34-31 victory on Thursday evening.
Jake Bates’ 35-yard field goal as time expired was the difference.
Along the way, the explosive Packers and aggressive Lions traded blows in an entertaining and at times messy prime-time shootout.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers going forward:
Which went well
— Despite a ponderous start, Jordan Love caught fire in the second half and was a large reason why the Packers had a chance to win the game tardy. He completed 12 passes for 206 yards, passed for a third touchdown to Tucker Kraft, had no turnovers and, under intense pressure, hit both a 59-yard bomb and a stunning 29-yard bomb to Christian Watson. Love was 9 of 13 passing for 175 yards in the second half.
— The Packers erased a 17-7 halftime deficit within three minutes, 45 seconds to start the third quarter. Love hit Watson 59 yards and Kraft scored for a third touchdown to cut the Lions’ lead to 17-14, and Keisean Nixon’s interception of Jared Goff scored Josh Jacobs’ first touchdown to give the Packers their first lead. It was an excellent reaction after a disastrous first 30 minutes.
— Christian Watson caught four passes for 114 yards. He lost a foul on a field goal in the first half, but he also scored 10 points for the Packers thanks to his explosive plays.
— Josh Jacobs helped the Packers score 4 of 5 touchdowns in the red zone. He scored three goals from 10 yards. He would have had his fourth touchdown if officials hadn’t flagged Watson with a questionable offensive pass interference penalty on the Packers’ final drive.
— The Packers defense gave up three explosive runs, but ultimately allowed just 3.3 yards per attempt on 34 Lions rushes. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery did not break the ground game. The run defense is starting to take shape after three games.
— Love carried four times for 23 yards, including a 14-yarder for a first down. He looks more and more mobile.
— Rashan Gary had a sack on third down to end the drive, and Quay Walker made a huge stop on fourth down with a touch from Gibbs.
— Defensive lineman Kenny Clark had his best game of the season. He had eight tackles, including one for a loss.
— Dontayvion Wicks caught a season-high four passes and recorded three first downs. He caught a 26-yard touchdown in the second half and never went down.
What went wrong
— The Packers defense gave up just 5.1 yards per play, but allowed conversions on 4 of 5 fourth downs and ran out of gas on 76 plays. The Lions scored on three of their final four possessions, including a methodical touchdown after the Packers led 28-24 and an basic march after the Packers tied the score at 31.
— The Lions scored two fourth-and-goal touchdowns.
— Jared Goff was sacked just once on 42 turnovers, and the Packers finished the game with just three quarterback hits. The pass rush was again not good enough.
— The Packers started slowly, giving up a touchdown on the Lions’ first drive and going for a punt fumble on their first three offensive possessions. Green Bay trailed 17-7 at halftime and was behind the Lions or Vikings by 10 or more after two quarters for the third time this season.
— Goff completed 32 passes, many of them on basic, well-timed screens or breaking routes to the middle of the field.
— The Packers offense converted just 1 of 5 third-down opportunities. Meanwhile, the Lions converted 11 third or fourth downs. This resulted in a huge disparity in terms of total games played and time in possession – a large difference considering both teams were playing their third game in 12 days.
— Jayden Reed dropped a pass on second down in the first half and finished the game without catches or touches. He only played 25 snaps.
— Josh Jacobs scored three touchdowns, but averaged only 3.7 yards per attempt despite playing mostly with backups in the Lions front seven. The Packers offensive line struggled in the running game and was ponderous to recognize Detroit’s numerous offenses.
— Watson’s error lost possession, and Quay Walker’s 15-yard field goal gave Detroit a field goal on the next play.
— Former Packer Za’Darius Smith passed through Zach Tom to sack Love on the first play from scrimmage. He also avoided being brutally hit by a passer when he hit Love in the head after a throw in the first half.
What does it mean
The NFC North race for the Packers is over and now the choice is wild card or bust. Matt LaFleur’s team is still in prime position to grab one of the three wild card spots, and securing a fifth or sixth spot would mean a first-round road game against the winner of the NFC South or NFC West. It’s not a bad place. While Thursday’s loss was disappointing, it showed that the Packers can go anywhere and play the best of the best in the NFC. Jordan Love is playing at a high level and the sizzling point guard can beat anyone. The team needs to get vigorous, pick up some wins in its final four games and earn a chance to return to Detroit in January.
Overview of the most crucial events
What’s next?
A chance to rest and recover before another crucial game in the NFC playoff race. The Packers, who just played three games in 12 days, have a bye Thursday night before traveling to Seattle to play the NFC West-leading Seahawks next Sunday night. Another primetime road game against the division leader. A victory in Seattle would essentially guarantee a playoff spot. This is a great opportunity to bounce back from a bad loss and get a large win over a playoff contender.
