Home is where your heart is, and for the Detroit Lions that is Ford Field as they overcame the Green Bay Packers 34-31 on “Thursday Night Football.” The Lions lead in the NFC North got bigger, as they are 12-1, the Minnesota Vikings are 10-2 and the Green Bay Packers are now 9-4. The win clinched a playoff appearance for Detroit as well, so for back-to-back seasons, the Lions are headed back to the postseason.
This game was the tale of two halves, as the Lions seemed to be in control in the first half, up 17-7 going into the break. In less than four minutes to start the second half though, the Packers quickly took the lead, 21-17. The Lions overcame the interception Goff threw to start the second half and continued to answer everything Green Bay threw their way.
Check out my winners and losers in the big win against the Packers
Winners
Jameson Williams
Williams had a big impact on Thursday. He was the leading receiver for Detroit, finishing with five catches for 80 yards. Williams has really only played Green Bay once as he was limited in 2022 as he was recovering from that ACL, so the Packers still don’t have much experience going up against him. He came up with a big 19-yard catch in the fourth quarter to help move the chains and the Lions got closer to field goal range.
Newcomers and depth
With the Lions down multiple starters and depth pieces, they have made numerous signings from practice squads and free agency. They have also moved players up from their practice squad onto the active roster to help them out. Linebacker Kwon Alexander had two tackles, and linebacker Mitchell Agude had a tackle as he was called up from the Lions practice squad.
Safety Jamal Adams helped bring some pressure on the Packers offensive line and helping slowing down the running game, finishing the game with just a tackle. Defensive lineman Pat O’Connor did well as he had a play where he timed the snap perfectly and disrupted the throw by Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad had four tackles as he continues to get more playing time for Detroit.
Defensive end Myles Adams had three tackles, linebackers David Long Jr. and Ezekiel Turner each had a tackle. Defensive end Jonah Williams didn’t record a tackle, but he did get a QB hit. The biggest question heading into this game was if Detroit’s defensive depth could hold up and they did so as I just gave you nine players that weren’t on the Lions 53-man roster who played tonight and made meaningful plays. While they all might not continue to be on the roster as others return, the team will be thankful for all they have done for them.
Za’Darius Smith
Facing up against his former team, and my x-factor heading into the matchup, made his presence known from the first play of the game for the defense. Smith quickly got to Packers quarterback Jordan Love and sacked him for a seven-yard loss. Smith has been the best addition this team has made via trade or free agency/practice squad during the season. When the team needed someone after defensive end Aidan Hutchinson went down, they got the best possible replacement.
Smith finished the game with two tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack. He is the Lions’ best pass rusher on the team now, and despite the team’s depleted defensive line, he is still making plays and impacting the defense.
Tim Patrick
Williams wasn’t the only wide receiver to impact this game, it’s safe to say Tim Patrick had the biggest impact of them all. Patrick not only scored his first touchdown as a Lion, but he also scored twice and both touchdowns were big-time plays. The first was a fourth-down pass that gave Detroit the lead 24-21 in the third quarter. The second gave Detroit the 31-28 lead in the fourth quarter.
Patrick did more than score, finishing with six catches for 43 yards and two touchdowns. He made some other helpful catches for the Lions offense and has filled into the WR3 role nicely. When Detroit had wide receiver Josh Reynolds, Goff would look for him on third downs and clutch plays. As the season has progressed, Patrick has become that player for Goff makes the Lions offense lethal.
Losers
More injuries
Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill left the game in the first quarter to get tested for a concussion. He returned to play, but would miss the second half with a head injury. The defense has been missing more players than any other unit, so losing another starting defensive player isn’t what you wanted here. That means the entire starting defensive line for the Lions is now dealing with injuries and not playing, which isn’t what you want in December a month before the playoffs.
The offense wasn’t alone in dealing with an injury as right guard Kevin Zeitler missed a few plays and would later return, he might have something going on in the future weeks now. The Lions are already down left tackle Taylor Decker, so having another starting offensive lineman dealing with a nagging injury isn’t great. The defense has been tested heavily with injuries this season, while the offense hasn’t had as many obstacles with them, their offense makes them explosive so anything limiting that hurts Detroit greatly.
Run blocking
The Lions are a run-heavy team that needs it to work for the passing game to open up and the play-action plays to be set up. The last time Detroit played Green Bay, Detroit ran for 124 yards, averaging 3.9 yards per carry, and got a touchdown. This time, Detroit ran for 111 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry, and scored once. No matter who was running the football for Detroit, there wasn’t much going for them.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs led the team with 15 carries for 43 yards, while David Montgomery had 14 carries for 51 yards and the touchdown. Whether Detroit tried to run it to the outside or up the middle, there wasn’t much success. The longest run by the Lions was a 20-yard run by Gibbs. If your longest run accounts for just under 20 percent of your total production, that’s not good. The Packers have a good run defense and it showed this week against the Lions.