The Detroit Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers, 22-29, in Week 1 of the National Football League (NFL) season.
The Thanksgiving festivities in Detroit got off to a rocky start this afternoon as the Green Bay Packers stunned the Detroit Lions, 24-17, at Ford Field.
A brilliant defensive play from the Packers took the spotlight as they forced three fumbles which helped guide them to victory.
The Packers scored on their first possession of the second half when quarterback Jordan Love completed a 53-yard pass to wide receiver Christian Watson. The drive was capped off by a ten-yard reception for a touchdown by receiver Jayden Reed. The Packers led 7-0 after the first quarter.
The fast-starting Lions answered quickly as quarterback Jared Goff took the ball down the field and into the red zone where he found wide receiver Sam LaPorta. The Lions were unable to tie the game as kicker Riley Patterson missed the extra point.
The Lions’ reaction didn’t faze the Packers, who continued to dominate in the first quarter. Love found his tight end, Tucker Kraft, for nine yards as the Packers increased their lead to 14-0.
On Detroit’s opening possession after the Packers’ touchdown, defensive end Rashan Gary sacked quarterback Jared Goff and forced a fumble. Safety Jonathan Owens recovered the fumble and ran it in for a two-point conversion to end a wild first quarter.
The Packers’ only score of the first half came from kicker Anders Carlson’s 43-yard goal. Carlson had a chance to make another field goal near the end of the first half, but he fumbled away his 63-yard shot. Detroit led Green Bay 7-23 at the half.
The Lions’ offense looked to be on fire early in the third quarter, as quarterback Matthew Stafford rushed for a short gain of six yards to set up a second Lions score.
Montgomery followed this up by rushing yet again for a two-point conversion to cut the Packers’ lead to just nine points, making up for their earlier missed extra-point conversion.
The Lions’ comeback did not last long however, as, with just over three minutes left in the third quarter, Love would find Watson yet again for a 16-yard reception for Love’s third touchdown throw of the game. This meant that Green Bay took a 15-point lead into the final quarter, putting the game out of reach for Detroit.
The Lions showed some promise in the fourth quarter, but by the 2-minute mark they were still scoreless thanks to a great Packers defense. The Lions finally got on the board with 45 seconds remaining when Goff found his wide receiver, Josh Reynolds, for a 1-yard score. LePorta added a 2-point conversion, but there wasn’t enough time for the Lions to mount a comeback, and the Packers secured a huge win over their rivals in the NFC North.
With the win, the Packers improved their season record at 5-6, moving them closer to their goal of.500 and a playoff berth. It also marks a miraculous turnaround for the Packers, who started the season 0-2 before winning three of their next four games. With the win, the Lions remain in first place in the NFC North, improving their record to 8-3, good for third in the NFL.
Despite throwing for a whopping 332 yards, it wasn’t enough for the Lions to secure a Thanksgiving win.
Now, the Lions will look to avenge their Thanksgiving loss and move closer to locking up a playoff spot as they host the New Orleans Saints in Week 13 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
On the other side of the country, the Packers will be looking to continue their winning ways in Week 13 as they host the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Superbowl champs, in Lambeau Field.
