The Green Bay Packers were able to overcome a slow start, but a run-down defense missing multiple starters ran out of gas late, and the Detroit Lions used scores on three of their last four possessions to escape Ford Field with a 34-31 win on Thursday night.
Jake Bates’ 35-yard field goal as time expired ended up being the difference.
Along the way, the explosive Packers and aggressive Lions traded blows in an entertaining and occasionally chaotic shootout in primetime.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— Despite a slow start, Jordan Love caught fire in the second half and was a big reason why the Packers had a chance to win the game late. He completed 12 passes for 206 yards, threw a third-down touchdown pass to Tucker Kraft, didn’t have a turnover and hit both a 59-yard bomb and an incredible 29-yarder under intense pressure to Christian Watson. Love was 9-of-13 passing for 175 yards in the second half.
— The Packers erased a 17-7 half-time deficit in all of three minutes and 45 seconds to start the third quarter. Love hit Watson for 59 yards and Kraft for the third-down touchdown to cut the Lions’ lead to 17-14, and Keisean Nixon’s interception of Jared Goff set up a Josh Jacobs touchdown run that gave the Packers their first lead. It was an excellent response after an ugly first 30 minutes.
— Christian Watson caught four passes for 114 yards. He lost the fumble in the first half setting up a field goal, but he also set up 10 points for the Packers with explosive plays.
— Josh Jacobs helped the Packers go 4-for-5 scoring touchdowns in the red zone. He scored three times inside 10 yards. He would have had a fourth touchdown had officials not flagged Watson for a questionable offensive pass interference penalty on the Packers’ final drive.
— The Packers run defense gave up three explosive runs but ended up allowing only 3.3 yards per attempt across 34 rushes from the Lions. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery were not game-breakers on the ground. The run defense is really starting to take shape over the three games.
— Love scrambled four times for 23 yards, including a 14-yarder to convert a first down. He is looking more and more mobile.
— Rashan Gary had a third-down sack to end a drive, and Quay Walker produced a huge fourth-down stop with a stuff of Gibbs.
— Defensive lineman Kenny Clark played his best game of the season. He had eight tackles, including a tackle for loss.
— Dontayvion Wicks caught a season-high four passes and produced three first downs. He made a catch through contact on a 26-yarder in the second half and didn’t have a drop.
What went wrong
— The Packers defense gave up only 5.1 yards per play but allowed conversions on 4-of-5 fourth downs and ran out of gas while facing 76 plays. The Lions scored on three of their final four possessions, including a methodical touchdown drive after the Packers went up 28-24 and an easy march after the Packers tied the game at 31.
— The Lions scored a pair of touchdowns on fourth-and-goal.
— Jared Goff was sacked only once on 42 dropbacks, and the Packers finished with only three quarterback hits. The pass-rush wasn’t good enough again.
— The Packers started slow, giving up a touchdown on the Lions’ opening drive and going punt-punt-fumble on their first three offensive possessions. Green Bay trailed 17-7 at half — the third time this season they’ve trailed the Lions or Vikings by 10 or more after two quarters.
— Goff completed 32 passes, many on easy, well-timed screens or in-breaking dig routes to the middle of the field.
— The Packers offense converted only 1-of-5 third down opportunities. The Lions, meanwhile, converted 11 third or fourth downs. That resulted in a massive disparity in terms of total plays and time of possession — a big deal considering both teams were playing a third game in 12 days.
— Jayden Reed dropped a second-down pass in the first half and finished with zero catches and zero touches. He played only 25 snaps.
— Josh Jacobs scored three touchdowns, but he averaged only 3.7 yards per attempt despite facing mostly backups in the Lions front seven. The Packers offensive line struggled in the run game and were slow to figure out Detroit’s many blitzes.
— Watson’s fumble created a lost possession, and Quay Walker’s 15-yard penalty set up Detroit’s field goal on the ensuing drive.
— Former Packer Za’Darius Smith went right through Zach Tom to sack Love on the first play from scrimmage. He also got away with a roughing the passer when he hit Love in the head following a throw in the first half.
What it means
The NFC North race is over for the Packers, and now it’s wildcard or bust. Matt LaFleur’s team is still in a terrific position to earn one of the three wildcard spots, and securing the No. 5 or No. 6 seed would mean going on the road to play either the NFC South or NFC West winner in the first round. Not a bad spot. While disappointing, Thursday night’s loss showed the Packers can go anywhere and play with the best of the best in the NFC. Jordan Love is playing at a high level, and a hot quarterback can beat anyone. This team needs to get healthy, stack a few wins over the final four games and earn a chance to go back to Detroit in January.
Highlights
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What’s next
A chance to rest up and recover before another big game in the NFC playoff race. The Packers — who just played three games in 12 days — get the mini-bye of a Thursday night game before heading to Seattle to play the NFC West-leading Seahawks next Sunday night. Another primetime road game against a division leader. A win in Seattle would essentially guarantee a playoff spot. This is a great opportunity to bounce back from a tough defeat and get a big win over a playoff contender.