GREEN BAY – The Packers continued their offensive resurgence and onslaught in the second quarter, charging to a 31-10 halftime lead over the Lions on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The Packers wasted no time adding to their advantage. On the first snap of the second quarter, QB Aaron Rodgers scrambled out of trouble and heaved it deep for rookie WR Trevor Davis. Lions CB Nevin Lawson was flagged for pass interference at the Detroit 2-yard line, making it a 66-yard penalty and first-and-goal. One play later, Rodgers found TE Richard Rodgers for the score, and the Packers took a 21-3 lead.
The Packers got the ball back quickly again. Two plays after QB Matt Stafford found WR Marvin Jones deep for a 38-yard gain over CB Damarious Randall, the Packers' corner stole the ball from TE Eric Ebron on a short pass over the middle and raced 44 yards the other way. The interception gave the Packers the ball on the Detroit 25.
Green Bay stalled for the first time all day, though, as Rodgers third-down pass to the end zone for WR Jordy Nelson was just out of reach, leading to a 36-yard FG by K Mason Crosby for a 24-3 lead with 10:41 left in the half.
Detroit got a good drive going but failed to cut into the lead. Stafford converted third downs with passes to WR Golden Tate and Ebron for 30 yards total, but Packers CB LaDarius Gunter broke up a throw to the end zone for Jones. Julius Peppers and Mike Daniels pressured Stafford on third down, leading to an errant throw, and then K Matt Prater missed wide right on a 43-yard FG try, keeping the score 24-3.
The Packers got it going again on a 25-yard run by RB Eddie Lacy, followed by a 9-yard pass to Nelson to move the chains. After a holding penalty on C JC Tretter, Rodgers found Nelson over the middle for 13 yards and then hit him over the top for a 17-yard TD. The score gave the Packers a 31-3 lead with 1:10 left in the half.
With four TD passes in the first half, Rodgers has accomplished the feat for the second time in his career. The other time was when he had six TDs in the first half vs. Chicago in 2014.
The Lions got their first TD just before intermission, as Jones beat backup CB Josh Hawkins down the far sideline for a 73-yard TD with 32 seconds left in the half. Hawkins was in for CB Damarious Randall, out with an unspecified injury.
The Packers did end the first half a bit banged up. In addition to Randall. TE Jared Cook (ankle), LB Blake Martinez (stitches for nose cut), and FB Aaron Ripkowski (back) have all left the game with injuries.
