Good, bad, and ugly from Packers’ victory over the Lions

We recap the good, bad, and ugly moments from the Green Bay Packers 23-20 win over the Detroit Lions.

The Green Bay Packers went into their Week 17 matchup against the Detroit Lions with a clear goal: win, and secure a first-round bye. The Packers still spent most of the game sleepwalking against a division rival.

Matt LaFleur’s team woke up in time to come back from down 14 points in the second half and won a close game that propelled them to a 13-3 record and secured a first-round bye.

The Packers will get the next week off while they wait to see who they’ll be playing in the NFC Divisional Round.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 23-20 win against the Detroit Lions:

The Good

  • Za’Darius Smith: Unlike last week, when he filled up the stat sheet in Minnesota, Smith didn’t rack up a bunch of stats on Sunday. However, he was once again a major presence on the defense and helped force David Blough into a handful of key mistakes that kept the Packers alive in the game. He’ll be a key player for the Packers during their playoff run.

  • Aaron Jones: The Packers offense continues to hum when Aaron Jones gets fed a steady diet of touches. Although he wasn’t as incredible as he was against Minnesota, Jones still finished the day with 100 rushing yards on 25 carries, and his 31-yard reception at the end of the game set up the Packers winning field goal. If Green Bay has any aspirations of winning in January, it’ll be because of Jones.
  • Allen Lazard: The Packers may not have a ton of playmakers when it comes to their wide receiving corps, but Lazard continues to show up as a secondary weapon behind Davante Adams. He’s continued to develop throughout the year and once again was a big factor on Sunday, hauling in four catches for 69 yards, including the game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter.

  • Mason Crosby: Redemption came twice for Crosby this year. First, Crosby kicked the game-winning field goal in Lambeau Field to defeat the Lions, and he got to do it once again on Sunday. Although he missed on a 51-yard kick early in the game, he did nail an extra point and two field goals in the second half, including the game-winning kick that secured Green Bay a first-round bye.
  • Packers defense: While the Packers didn’t deliver a standout defensive performance, they did contain the Lions enough in the second half to give the Packers a chance to win. Despite being down 17-3, the Packers defense held the Lions to just three points in the second half. Mike Pettine’s group will finish the year on a solid five-game stretch going into the playoffs.

The Bad

  • Reliance on deep balls: The Lions came into the game with the worst passing defense in the NFL, and it appeared the Packers were hellbent on taking advantage of that, regardless of situation. Despite the offense stagnating throughout most of the game, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers continually tried to attack the Lions secondary downfield, and it failed way more often than it succeeded. They eventually adjusted and found some rhythm in the second half. Can the Packers hit on more big plays in two weeks?
  • Jaire Alexander: A surprising dud for the standout cornerback. Alexander just looked off all game. Not only was he unable to stick with some of his assignments, but he also allowed wide receiver Danny Amendola to get in his head, resulting in an unnecessary roughness penalty early on. Alexander is more than talented enough to bounce back, though, so look for him to be ready during the Divisional Round.
  • Run defense: The Packers defense looked to be getting better when it came to the running game, but things came to a crashing halt on Sunday. Green Bay allowed 171 rushing yards against the Lions on just 25 carries, most of which came in the form of Kerryon Johnson absolutely torching them on the ground.

The Ugly

  • Aaron Rodgers: In a disturbing trend, Rodgers has continued to struggle the last couple of weeks. After a rough showing against the Vikings, Rodgers was downright terrible against the Lions for the majority of the game. Rodgers finished with a career-high 28 incompletions, many of which seemed to come thanks to egregious overthrows on his part. He was able to throw for two touchdowns and led the Packers on a game-winning drive, but his play is beginning to become a bit of a concern at the worst possible time of the year.