Never apologize for a victory, especially when victories have been few and far between. Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions should offer no apologies for eking out a close, ugly 15-9 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 9.
Strong play from the youth-laden defense, including three interceptions of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers by defensive rookies, keyed the plucky Lions win. It’s the second win for Detroit on the year and also the second straight home win over Green Bay for the Lions, who also beat the Packers in Week 18 of last season.
Here are some quick takeaways from watching the Lions triumph over the Packers in real-time.
Rookies on D stepped up
Detroit started four rookies on defense and the youngsters made their presence felt, none more than safety Kerby Joseph.
Joseph notched his first two career interceptions, both of them inside the red zone off Aaron Rodgers. The first came off a pass Rodgers rifled off the helmet of LB Derrick Barnes. The second came on a fantastic open-field read where the third-round safety knifed in front of the intended target. Joseph also saved a likely TD with an outstanding, leaping pass deflection on another drive to force a Packers punt.
In between Joseph’s interceptions, No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson snagged one of his own in the Lions end zone.
Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez logged four tackles early before exiting with an elbow injury. He was questionable to return but didn’t appear to get back into the game after one more drive. Thankfully Barnes, the second-year LB, played the best game of his young career in Rodriguez’s absence.
Defensive end Josh Paschal didn’t make a huge dent on the stat sheet, but No. 93 played very well in terms of controlling the edge and generating some pressure. He had a huge (legal) hit on Rodgers that reminded the Packers QB not to get too comfortable and also created an interior pressure on the final pass, forcing Rodgers to throw off his back foot.
Very active secondary after Aubrey Pleasant's firing
Entering Week 9, no team had fewer defensive plays on the ball in the air than the Lions. Aaron Glenn’s unit had managed just 18 passes defended (PD) through the first seven games. The lack of productivity and awareness was no small part of what cost DBs coach and passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant his job last week.
It could very well be coincidental, and the offensively challenged Packers almost certainly played a role as well. But Detroit’s defense got its hands, or in one case a helmet, on nine Aaron Rodgers passes in the game. Joseph got three on his own, including the two INTs. The ball awareness and tighter coverage were very welcomed developments and a great response by the DBs after what had to have been a difficult week for the secondary.
The lineup changes in the secondary also paid off. Mike Hughes started outside with Will Harris sliding into the slot. Jerry Jacobs played extensively outside later in the game. All three were effective in avoiding the miscommunications and complete losses in coverage that have paralyzed the progress recently.
Jared Goff was bad but so was Aaron Rodgers
This was not a well-quarterbacked game. Neither Jared Goff nor Aaron Rodgers will enjoy the film review of their respective performances.
Goff finished 14-for-26 for 137 yards. He threw two touchdowns and one interception, though the Packers could have picked off at least two others. Goff was brutal in the second half, completing just six of his 14 attempts for 49 yards. He badly missed a key fourth-down pass late, one that was nearly a lethal mistake.
Fortunately for Goff and the Lions, Rodgers wasn’t any better. He threw three INTs, all in the red zone. There were several misfires and miscommunications with his inexperienced receiving corps along the way to Rodgers completing 23 of his 43 passes for 291 yards and one touchdown to go with the three picks.
Rodgers’ lack of confidence in his team was quite obvious throughout the game. The negative energy was palpable and helped the young Lions find their footing. As poorly overall as Goff performed, Rodgers was no better on this afternoon.
Quick hits
–D’Andre Swift played and make an impact early with two carries and three receptions netting 50 total yards. Yet he did not appear to play in the second half. Swift has been dealing with ankle and shoulder injuries and was questionable for the game and did appear to land on the shoulder on his final reception.
–Justin Jackson stepped up as a reserve RB after normal No. 3 back Craig Reynolds was lost to a chest injury. Jackson ran for a hard 27 yards on four carries. He looked fine in his first real extended run of playing time.
–Both Lions touchdowns were scored by tight ends. Shane Zylstra scored on a well-designed goal-line crossing route, and then rookie James Mitchell snuck into the middle of the end zone uncovered to seize his first career TD pass. This came in the first game since the Lions dealt away top TE T.J. Hockenson.
–Coach Campbell made two controversial fourth down decisions in the game. Neither of them went his way. The decisions to go for it were debatable, but the failed play calls on the two misses were far worse than the aggressive choice.
It's inviting the D to pressure a QB who can't handle pressure or escape it. Terrible concept. https://t.co/JPmkyNLNXj
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) November 6, 2022
–First impression was that LB Derrick Barnes had the best game of his two-year career. His sack on a delayed blitz call is optimal usage of No. 55 that Detroit needs to do more of going forward.
–Not a great game from left tackle Taylor Decker. It’s the second substandard game in a row from Decker, who has been battling back and groin injuries that are visibly impacting his movement ability.
–The play clock appeared to expire on the Packers on at least five different offensive plays. Either the FOX broadcast play clock was off or the officials gave Rodgers unusual latitude in enforcing delay of game.
–Campbell opened his postgame press conference by thanking the veterans in attendance and stating how happy he was to give them a win. That message was very well-received.
