5 takeaways from the Green Bay Packers 29-22 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 12
DETROIT – If the trajectory was pointing north entering Thanksgiving, what the Green Bay Packers did for four quarters at the Detroit Lions might be enough to reconsider where this 2023 could go.
The Lions arrived at Ford Field expecting a national pronouncement they are not the same bumbling franchise they’ve been known for over the decades. They were the NFC’s second seed with an 8-2 record. They had blown out the Packers at Lambeau Field in September. This was their Thanksgiving party, their annual tradition, a game they hadn’t won since 2016.
They were looking to change that.
The Packers spoiled those plans with a dominant 29-22 win, by far their best game of the season. Their second victory in five days gave them consecutive wins for the first time in the Jordan Love era. It improved their record to 5-6 this season, which in a shallow NFC might be enough to make a push for a playoff spot in the season’s final month.
Here are some quick observations from a happy Thanksgiving for the Packers in Detroit.
The Jordan Love and Christian Watson show makes a return
Maybe Christian Watson’s touchdown catch from Jordan Love against the Los Angeles Chargers was the start of something. Their connection was dynamic Thursday in a way it hasn’t been all season. It started with the first play when Love reared back and threw deep down the middle of the field to his speedy receiver. Love’s pass was underthrown, but Watson leaped and made a strong catch for 53 yards. It didn’t stop there. Watson caught five of his seven targets for 94 yards and a 16-yard touchdown in the second half, his best game this season. It was a reminder the Packers offense – and their quarterback – are best when Watson’s athleticism can take over games. Love finished 22-of-32 for 268 yards, three touchdowns and a 125.5 rating, his highest of the season. He had a 153.27 rating when targeting Watson. It was about a year ago Watson exploded onto the NFL scene as a rookie with eight touchdowns in four games, changing the Packers offense. If Love and Watson can continue building their chemistry, there are a lot of winnable games down the stretch of this schedule.
Rashan Gary exacts revenge on Ford Field’s turf
A year ago, Rashan Gary’s breakout season abruptly ended Week 9 when he tore his ACL on Ford Field’s turf. He played like a pass rusher possessed Thursday, looking very much like he wanted to take out some frustration. Gary had three sacks, putting constant pressure on Lions quarterback Jared Goff. The highlight came in the first quarter when Gary stripped Goff of the football just before his arm started to move forward, leading to a fumble. Safety Jonathan Owens scooped the loose football and returned it for a 27-yard touchdown, the Packers’ first defensive score since Week 1 in Chicago. The touchdown gave the Packers a 20-6 lead, allowing their pass rush to sink in. Gary later had a fourth-down sack on Goff in the second half. He’s up to 8.5 sacks this season, surpassing last year’s total.
Rich Bisaccia’s punt unit unsurprised by Lions fake punt
Few coaches in the NFL keep more cards up their sleeve than Dan Campbell. He’ll go off script from anywhere on the field, never afraid to be unconventional. Campbell tried that in Thursday’s third quarter with a fake punt from their own 23-yard line. Instead of punting, the Lions sent a direct snap to linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Rich Bisaccia’s punt unit wasn’t surprised and stymied blocks, giving Reeves-Maybin nowhere to run on the right side. Rookie outside linebacker Lukas Van Ness crashed the play’s back side and tackled Reeves-Maybin for no gain, giving the Packers possession at the Lions 23. The Packers scored a touchdown to take a 29-14 lead four plays later.
Extra points becoming something extra instead of automatic after Packers touchdowns
Rookie kicker Anders Carlson had made extra point look routine through the first several weeks of his NFL career. That’s become a thing of the past. Carlson missed an extra point for the third straight game in Thursday’s opening quarter following safety Jonathan Owens’ 27-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The Lions had missed their initial extra point, so a successful attempt would have given the Packers a 15-point lead. Instead, Carlson’s miss put the Lions in only a traditional, two-touchdown hole. Carlson made his first 16 extra points this season before missing his first in Pittsburgh.
Matt LaFleur takes ball after winning opening coin toss, first time this season
Matt LaFleur deviated from script before a snap Thursday. The Packers won the opening coin toss, and usually that means deferring possession to the second half. LaFleur decided to receive the football first instead, and it couldn’t have worked out better. The Packers scored a touchdown on their opening drive and never trailed, a major difference from the first matchup between these two teams Week 4. The Lions led 27-3 at halftime at Lambeau Field, and the Packers never had a chance. Taking the football and scoring first gave Jordan Love a chance to play with the lead, and Love looked much more comfortable in that setting. Credit LaFleur for reading the situation and deviating off his usual protocol.