The Green Bay Packers improved to 10-3 and clinched the NFC North title with a 31-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Ford Field.
Here are all the studs and duds from the Packers’ win over the Lions:
Studs
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling: He caught all six of his targets, and all six of his receptions produced a first down or touchdown. His score was one of the best plays of his career. It was both a smart play within the route and an impressive finish at the catch point. He recognized the back-shoulder opportunity, turned his head, found the ball and plucked it out of the air with a defender all over of him. Most importantly, he was on the same page as the quarterback. Later, he drew a crucial holding penalty to extend the Packers’ first drive of the second half, and he converted a 3rd-and-14 with a 21-yard catch on an extended play.
LT David Bakhtiari: Christian Jones and Austin Bryant were no match for the All-Pro. The pass-rushing pair got 33 cracks at the Packers left tackle and managed just two pressures. He did have a false start penalty when he attempted to jump the snap, as he often does successfully.
QB Aaron Rodgers: Another typical performance from the MVP front runner. He was equal parts accurate and aggressive, and he shredded the Lions defense from clean pockets. Detroit’s plan was to take away the deep ball, so the Packers quarterback just picked them apart at the intermediate level. While no longer much of a runner, he did scramble for a 9-yard touchdown on third down. Three of his four scrambles produced a first down or touchdown. He was responsible for four total touchdowns and was just inches away from a fifth on a late deep ball into the end zone to Davante Adams. He wasn’t sacked and didn’t have a turnover.
DL Kenny Clark: He set the tone early with two impressive run stops on the first drive. At times, he just chucks offensive linemen out of the way, and he’s so good at finding the football once he sheds the block. He also ended the first half with a sack of Matthew Stafford and added a few other pressures as a rusher from the inside. No. 97 is starting to look more and more healthy.
CB Jaire Alexander: Team just aren’t going after him. It’s the ultimate compliment for a cornerback. The one time Stafford tried to test him, he broke on the ball from the slot and nearly had a pick-six on third down. He still broke up the pass and forced a punt. Even on the two completions into his off coverage, he closed down the space in an instant, made the tackle and limited yards after the catch.
K Mason Crosby: He made all four of his extra points, and his 57-yard kick was the most impressive make from him in years. It was a line drive that just had enough. His six kickoffs resulted in four touchbacks, and he made the touchdown-saving tackle on the final kickoff.
Duds
CB Chandon Sullivan: He gave up first-down catches to both Mohamed Sanu and Danny Amendola on in-breaking routes. Sanu’s catch came on third down, extending the first drive. Later, Sullivan got caught holding on tight end T.J. Hockenson. He was beaten on the route. His day ended with an injury after 33 snaps.
CB Kevin King: The Lions went after him early and just missed a bunch of big plays. Marvin Jones is probably wondering how he didn’t have a huge day. He had King beat twice on deep routes in the first half and probably had a touchdown on the reviewed play in the second half. Jones still won twice against King for first-down catches, including a 23-yarder on third down. Twice, he tried to throw a shoulder at a ball-carrier and missed the tackle badly.
LB Christian Kirksey: The veteran inside linebacker can be physical playing downhill against the run, but playing in space remains a problem. Amendola turned him inside out on a quick move against inside leverage. Later, he couldn’t keep up with D’Andre Swift on a throw to the flat and fell down, and he got flagged for holding while trailing in coverage. On Hockenson’s touchdown, he was just a step or two late closing down the space at the goal line.
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