After narrowly escaping an embarrassing defeat against the Bears, the Lions lost without contest against the Packers.
Detroit Lions (8-3) – Green Bay Packers (5-6): 22-29
After a convincing victory at Lambeau Field in the first leg, the Detroit Lions were unable to repeat their performance.
Overwhelmed in defense, overwhelmed in attack, Dan Campbell’s men did not see the light of day against an attractive Green Bay team led by Matt LaFleur.
Hailed for his XXL performance against the Chargers in week eleven, Jordan Love confirmed it by dissecting Detroit’s defense like a surgeon (22/32 for 268 yards and three touchdowns). On the other side of the ball, the defense put constant pressure on Jared Goff, causing two fumbles including one returned for a touchdown in the first quarter.
It is therefore Green Bay which leaves with the victory and the Thanksgiving turkey, while Detroit will have to quickly correct the situation or risk wasting a great opportunity to win its division since 1993.
Hungry Packers
Green Bay went to Ford Field on an empty stomach with ambitions of devouring its division rival. From the start of the match, Jordan Love confirmed this idea by finding Christian Watson for a 53-yard gain then throwing a touchdown pass to Jayden Reed. The tone is set.
True to its reputation, the Detroit attack responds tit for tat through Sam Laporta (6-7). However, the offensive efficiency of the Lions remains there. Indeed, aware of Jared Goff’s difficulties under pressure, the Packers press where it hurts. Detroit’s offensive line is unrecognizable against the opposing pass rush and cannot prevent two consecutive fumbles from its quarterback, including one returned for a touchdown by the Green Bay defense. (6-14)
As a result, Jordan Love was quick to extend his team’s lead (6-23). Detroit remains confined to six small points at halftime.
Lions wake up late
Returning from the locker room, Detroit has new intentions. The attack achieved a serious drive concluded by David Montgomery. (14-23) However, despite gifts offered by the Packers attack, Detroit fails to materialize its opportunities, the fault of an opposing defensive line that is still dominant.
Worse still, the Lions offered Jordan Love a third touchdown on a plate by missing a fake punt in their own 25 yards. Green Bay is then content to run the clock while Detroit continues unsuccessful drives (1 conversion on the fourth attempt out of 6 attempted). Finally, Josh Reynolds scored a touchdown in the very last moments of the match to bring his team back to one possession. (22-29) Too little, too late.
Thanks to its third victory in its last four matches, Green Bay remains in the fight for a place in the playoffs. As for Detroit, the lead in the division still belongs to it but the last matches against the Bears and the Packers have highlighted flaws which show that the franchise is not yet a leader in the NFC.
