The Green Bay Packers were unable to overcome three interceptions thrown by quarterback Aaron Rodgers and lost Sunday’s NFC North showdown to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
Matt LaFleur’s team fell behind 8-0 at halftime and trailed by two scores in the second half, and a late comeback attempt fell 17 yards short late in the fourth quarter.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it all means for the Packers:
What went right
– The Packers defense held the Lions to just 15 points, and Jared Goff managed only 137 passing yards on 26 attempts. Even the Lions run game only averaged 3.8 yards per attempt.
– Jaire Alexander set up what should have been an easy scoring opportunity with an interception in the third quarter. It was his second interception in as many weeks and his third this season, setting a new career-high.
– Aaron Rodgers was effective using his legs as a scrambler. He finished with 40 rushing yards on four attempts, including a late 18-yarder on 3rd-and-17.
– The Packers stopped the Lions on both fourth down attempts. The first prevented points on the first drive; the second gave the Packers one final chance to win the game.
– Kylin Hill’s first touch since tearing his ACL in Week 8 of last year picked up a first down on a 7-yard attempt in the fourth quarter.
– Tight ends Josiah Deguara, Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis caught nine of 10 targets for 89 yards, and all three had a catch of at least 15 yards.
What went wrong
– The Packers scored zero points in the first half and just nine total against arguably the worst defense in football.
– The Packers made five trips inside Detroit’s 25-yard line and scored a grand total of three points.
– Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions, including two in the end zone. All three were in Lions territory with a chance to score. Once again, the Packers lost the turnover battle, 3-1.
– The turnover situation could have been worse: A.J. Dillon and Samori Toure were both fortunate to not lose fumbles.
– Given four chances from the 17-yard line, Rodgers threw four passes that never really looked threatening. It was a pathetic whimper of an end for the Packers offense.
– Both of Jared Goff’s touchdown passes were to wide open receivers.
– Packers running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon combined to rush 20 times for just 59 yards.
– Injuries piled up to important players on both sides of the football. The full extent of the damage won’t be known until the start of next week.
– Sammy Watkins was targeted five times. He caught one for nine yards.
What it all means
The Packers season, already teetering on the edge of collapse, might’ve just hit rock bottom. Even if this team loses the next few games against playoff contenders, it won’t compare to going to Detroit and scoring nine points in a must-win situation. This was an opportunity to get right on offense, win a game to rebuild some confidence and turn the season around. Instead, the Packers were unable to overcome all of the same warts that have plagued this team all season long. Compounding the effect of the loss is the pile of injuries Matt LaFleur will need to sort through this week. The Packers are reeling and beaten up, with an aging and expensive quarterback playing poorly and a roster in need of a reboot. This is a bad, bad place to be. But the Packers are essentially stuck here for the next eight games.
What's next
The Packers, after games in five different stadiums over a five-week stretch, will return home and welcome Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys to Lambeau Field. The Cowboys are 6-2, have won two straight games and will be coming off the bye week. Can the Packers get a rejuvenating win? Or will this team be waving goodbye to what’s left of the season?
