The Detroit Lions proved beyond any shadow of a doubt they are the kings of the North. Dan Campbell’s Lions roared into Lambeau Field and soundly defeated the Green Bay Packers, 24-14, in a driving rainstorm that flooded some distance between the first-place Lions and the rest of the division.
Chants of “Ja-red Goff” broke out in the Packers home stadium as the Lions went into victory formation, cementing Detroit’s third straight win in Green Bay. The Lions ran for 124 yards and scored 24 straight points after the Packers opened the game with a long and impressive field goal drive.
Detroit wasn’t seriously threatened after running out to a 24-3 lead with Jahmyr Gibbs’ 15-yard TD run on the opening drive of the second half. The Packers tacked on a late touchdown, but the Lions offense calmly ran out the clock. The Lions did not turn the ball over.
The Packers were certainly complicit in their own demise. Green Bay made the mistakes the Lions largely avoided, and several of the home team’s errors came in crucial situations. Among them:
- A missed field goal with the score 7-3 Lions, which gave the Lions enough field position to kick a field goal of their own
- Six dropped passes, notably a should-be touchdown in the fourth quarter where Jordan Love threw behind a wide-open Dontayvion Wicks. It wasn’t an easy catch opportunity but he got both hands on it, albeit in the driving rain.
- One of the worst decisions you’ll ever see a quarterback make, with Love gift-wrapping a pick-six for Lions safety Kerby Joseph.
- Six pre-snap penalties, notably a 4th-down encroachment penalty that set up Detroit’s first touchdown.
The Lions played a much cleaner game despite it being their first outdoor game of the season. Jared Goff completed 11 of his first 12 passes and avoided turning the ball over once again. Goff finished 18-of-22. He netted just 145 passing yards, but that was all the Lions needed.
Other than a controversial ejection to star safety Brian Branch — his penalty was certainly merited but the ejection was highly suspect — Detroit played smartly. The defense was stingy in coverage despite an almost complete absence of a pass rush, not allowing a passing touchdown and holding Green Bay to just 3-of-12 on third-down conversions.
With the impressive divisional road win, the Lions improve to an NFC-best 7-1 record. Green Bay falls to 6-3.
