The Green Bay Packers gained 20 yards on 22 plays and trailed the Detroit Lions 27-3 after one of the most disastrous first halves of football in recent team history. A spirited attempt at a rally to start the second half — the Packers eventually got within 16 points early in the fourth quarter — came up short as the Lions sealed the deal late and escaped Lambeau Field with a 34-20 win on Thursday night.
The Packers got on the board first after Rudy Ford’s interception of Jared Goff on the Lions’ first possession set up an Anders Carlson field goal. But it was all Lions over the rest of the first half.
The Packers punted four times and had a turnover while the Lions scored on four straight possessions to break open the contest in the first half.
Lions running back David Montgomery scored three rushing touchdowns, including the game-sealing score in the fourth quarter after Packers linebacker Quay Walker was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct on a field goal attempt.
Despite a horrid first half, the Packers clawed back into the game with 14 straight points on Jordan Love’s touchdown pass to Christian Watson and Love’s 9-yard touchdown run in the third and fourth quarters. But after getting within 27-17, the Packers gave up a touchdown drive that sucked the life out of the comeback attempt.
The Lions jumped into sole possession of first place in the NFC North at 3-1.
The home loss drops the Packers to 2-2 after four games. After the weekend off, the Packers will begin preparing for next week’s trip to Las Vegas to play Davante Adams and the Raiders on “Monday Night Football” in Week 5.