GREEN BAY – The Packers played a mistake-filled contest against the NFC North leaders and fell to the Lions on a rainy Sunday at Lambeau Field by a score of 24-14.
The final score doesn't do justice to how convincingly Detroit won. The Packers were plagued by penalties, dropped passes and a slew of other miscues throughout the day in falling behind 24-3 early in the third quarter.
From there, the rest felt rather academic as the Packers didn't find the end zone until less than four minutes remained in the game. They had their four-game winning streak snapped and fell to 6-3 at their bye week. The Lions took command of the division race at 7-1.
For the Packers, QB Jordan Love played through a groin injury and was 23-of-39 for 273 yards with a killer interception, a pick-six late in the first half by Lions S Kerby Joseph that made it 17-3. Love posted a 69.7 passer rating.
RB Josh Jacobs had 13 carries for 95 yards, with 89 of those yards coming in the first half. WR Jayden Reed had five catches for 113 yards.
For the Lions, QB Jared Goff was his usual efficient self, going 18-of-22 for 145 yards with a TD and 109.3 passer rating. RBs David Montgomery (17 carries, 73 yards) and Jahmyr Gibbs (11-65, TD) combined for 138 yards on the ground, and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown had seven catches for 56 yards and a score.
Here's a recap of all the action:
Packers lead Lions 3-0 after first quarter
The Packers won the opening coin toss and received. Keisean Nixon returned the opening kickoff 29 yards to the Green Bay 40, but it was pushed back to the 25 after an unnecessary roughness penalty on Nixon. Josh Jacobs gained 22 yards on his first two carries.
Facing fourth-and-1 at the Detroit 43, tight end Tucker Kraft motioned under center and pulled off a 2-yard sneak for the first down. A false start penalty on the next play moved the Packers back but quarterback Jordan Love converted a second-and-15 situation into a first down with a 19-yard out to Christian Watson.
Jacobs busted an 11-yard run to the Lions' 17. Green Bay settled for a 30-yard Brandon McManus field goal to go ahead 3-0 with 7 minutes, 6 seconds left in the first quarter. The 14-play scoring drive lasted 7:34, both of which were season longs for the Packers.
Jared Goff completed all four of his pass attempts for 26 yards and David Montgomery picked up 39 yards on eight carries to move the Lions to the Green Bay 5 at the end of the first quarter.
Lions lead Packers 17-3 at halftime
The second quarter began with Green Bay getting called for encroachment on fourth-and-goal from the Packers' 5. The Lions still went for it and scored a touchdown off a 2-yard TD pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown to pull ahead 7-3 with 14:56 left in the first half.
Josh Jacobs followed a Kraft block on a 37-yard run to open Green Bay's second series. Jacobs combined with Emanuel Wilson to run for seven more to the Detroit 32, but the drive stalled after Sean Rhyan was called for a false start. Love's third-down pass for Watson fell incomplete and Green Bay elected to punt.
Detroit started at its 9 after a Daniel Whelan 33-yard punt. The Lions opened with an 11-yard screen to Jahmyr Gibb, but Green Bay answered by limiting Detroit to five yards on Gibbs' first two carries. On third-and-5, Arron Mosby combined with Rashan Gary to sack Goff. It marked Mosby's first sack on his fifth career defensive snap in the NFL.
Green Bay retook possession at its 18 and Kraft picked up six yards on first down. Jayden Reed set a downfield block to spring Jacobs for an 11-yard gain on a checkdown pass. Jacobs gained 13 yards on his next two carries to move the ball to the Packers' 48.
Safety Brian Branch lowered his helmet into Bo Melton on a downfield pass. Brnach not only was called for a personal foul but also was ejected for the play. Branch was flagged again for a personal foul after making an inappropriate gesture on the field.
The Packers failed to turn the penalties into points as McManus missed a 46-yard field goal wide right.
The Lions took over at their 36 and Goff promptly found St. Brown for a 26-yard gain. Goff completed his 11th straight pass to Tim Patrick for nine yards to the Packers' 18, as the first half reached the two-minute warning.
An 8-yard Montgomery run set up first-and-goal at the Packers' 10. Gary and Isaiah McDuffie combined for a tackle for a 2-yard loss on Montgomery's second-and-goal carry. Goff then threw his first incompletion against an inside blitz, leading to Jake Bates' 27-yard field goal to extend Detroit's lead to 10-3 with 58 seconds left in the half.
The Lions scored again after safety Kerby Joseph picked off Love on second-and-2 and returned it for a 27-yard touchdown to push Detroit's lead to 17-3 with 32 seconds left in the half.
Green Bay tried for more points, moving the ball 18 yards behind a pair of check downs to Chris Brooks. The half ended with a 41-yard pass to Reed but time ran out in the half.
Lions lead Packers 24-6 after three
The Lions kept moving the football in the third quarter, executing a nine-play, 71-yard drive that ended with a Jahmyr Gibbs 15-yard touchdown off a fourth-and-1 draw to extend Detroit's lead to 24-3 with 9:32 left in the third quarter. The Packers nearly got off the field after Goff's third-and-6 pass for Kalif Raymond went incomplete, but Keisean Nixon was flagged for defensive holding.
The Packers went three-and-out after Love couldn't hit Dontayvion Wicks on a third-and-3 slant. The Lions started at their own 12 after a 51-yard Whelan punt and holding penalty on Detroit, which punted the ball back after its own three-and-out.
The Packers took over at their 25-yard line after Jack Fox's 60-yard punt. Green Bay crossed midfield on a deep crosser to Reed for 32 yards to the Lions' 39. On third-and-1, Love threw an out to Reed for the first down. Detroit unsuccessfully challenged the ruling of a completed catch.
Kraft gained 13 yards on a play-action pass to the Lions' 14. The drive stalled after back-to-back aborted snaps on second and third down. McManus made a 38-yard field goal to cut Detroit's lead to 24-6 with 48 seconds left in the third quarter.
The third quarter ended with Lukas Van Ness and Isaiah McDuffie combining for a tackle of Montgomery for a 1-yard loss.
Lions upend Packers 24-14, Green Bay heads into bye 6-3
The fourth quarter began with the Packers' defense getting another three-and-out, as Goff's third-and-10 pass for Sam LaPorta fell incomplete. The next drive started with a 14-yard pass to Watson. Green Bay faced a fourth-and-5 from its own 36, but Love kept it going with a pass to Reed for 28.
Bo Melton caught a 19-yard crosser and Brooks gained nine yards on a first-and-10 carry to the Detroit 9. Love had Wicks open on third-and-1, but the second-year receiver couldn't corral a ball thrown behind him. Jacobs was stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-1 run up the middle.
The Lions punted it back with less than seven minutes left in regulation. Emanuel Wilson ran for 19 yards on a third-and-1 carry. Love missed Melton a third-and-4 pass to the end zone, but Amik Robertson was called for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The Packers cut the Lions' lead to 24-14 with 3:49 remaining after Wilson's first career TD run and a successful two-point conversion pass to Watson. Green Bay elected to attempt an onside kick after the eight-play, 55-yard scoring drive, but McManus' effort went out of bounds at the Lions' 47.
Detroit ran out the clock to secure its seventh win of the year and send Green Bay into its Week 10 bye at 6-3.
