Packer Central

Live Updates: Jordan Love, Packers Upset Lions 29-22

The Green Bay Packers, winners of two of their last three games, will face the first-place Detroit Lions in an NFC North clash at Ford Field. Follow along all day for updates.

Bill Huber

Live Updates: Jordan Love, Packers Upset Lions 29-22
Live Updates: Jordan Love, Packers Upset Lions 29-22 /
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DETROIT – The injury-plagued Green Bay Packers (4-6) will battle the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions (8-2) on Thursday at Ford Field. Follow along all day for updates.

Final Score

Packers 29, Lions 22

Look out, NFL. Here come the Packers.

Fourth Quarter

Packers 29, Lions 22 (41 seconds remaining)

Jared Goff threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Josh Reynolds and a 2-point conversion to Sam LaPorta. So, it came down to the onside kick, which Jayden Reed recovered.

Packers 29, Lions 14 (2:46 remaining)

The Packers didn’t score but they did burn 4 minutes off the clock. The entire Detroit defense was ready stop AJ Dillon third-and-1 from the 21. Instead, Jordan Love pulled the ball, picked up a block from Tucker Kraft and ran for 36. Daniel Whelan pinned the Lions at their 9 again.

Packers 29, Lions 14 (6:46 remaining)

If the Packers win, safety Jonathan Owens will be one of the heroes. On third-and-5 from the Packers’ 10, the Lions ran a receiver screen to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Owens ignored all the eye candy and beat right tackle Penei Sewell to the spot to drop St. Brown for a loss of 2. On fourth-and-7, Quay Walker had excellent coverage on Sam LaPorta to force an incompletion.

Packers 29, Lions 14 (11:52 remaining)

Jordan Love hit Malik Heath on a tight-window crossing route for one first down but just missed Jayden Reed on a corner route on third-and-5. Daniel Whelan pinned the Lions at their 9.

Packers 29, Lions 14 (13:32 remaining)

About 54 weeks after suffering a torn ACL at Ford Field, Rashan Gary just picked up his third sack and second forced fumble of the game. Coming on fourth-and-7, the Packers maintained their 15-point lead and will start at their 39.

Third Quarter

Packers 29, Lions 14 (3:30 remaining)

Taking over at Detroit’s 23, the Packers overcame holding on Elgton Jenkins to score a huge touchdown. On second-and-17, Romeo Doubs made a leaping catch for 14. On third-and-3, Jordan Love threw a dime over cornerback Cam Sutton to Christian Watson, who made an all-hands catch for a 16-yard touchdown. A razzle-dazzle 2-point play – it looked like Romeo Doubs was supposed to throw the ball to Love but Doubs was sacked by Aidan Hutchinson.

Love is 20-of-26 for 250 yards and three touchdowns.

Packers 23, Lions 14 (5:27 remaining)

The Lions gambled with a fake punt on fourth-and-4 from inside their 25 but the Packers stopped it. On the direct snap, Henry Pearson held the edge and Lukas Van Ness stopped the run well short of the marker. The Packers take over at Detroit’s 23.

Packers 23, Lions 14 (7:41 remaining)

The Packers needed a drive to flip the momentum. They didn’t quite get it. Jordan Love threw a bullet to Jayden Reed, who was wide open over the middle on third-and-2 for a gain of 20. Then, on third-and-4, Romeo Doubs was open for the first down but dropped an easy pass. So, the Packers punted. Robert Rochell saved a touchback and Zayne Anderson downed the ball at the 3.

Packers 23, Lions 14 (11:46 remaining)

The Lions made a statement to start the second half. It will be up the Packers to do the same. On the first play, Jahmyr Gibbs took a toss around Rashan Gary for 23 yards. The next play was a play-action pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown for 28. Moments later, on third-and-6, David Montgomery was in the end zone with a 17-yard touchdown. Kalif Raymond was flagged for holding Carrington Valentine in the end zone, which eliminated the touchdown – for a moment. Montgomery gained 6 on third-and-1 and then plowed through for a 6-yard touchdown. Montgomery was awarded the 2-point run; he fumbled as he got to the goal line but the play stood on review.

Halftime

Packers 23, Lions 6

Anders Carlson was short from 63 yards on the final play of the half. Detroit’s Kalif Raymond made a terrific catch in the back of the end zone. One of the fastest players in football, he weaved his way through all the big guys on Green Bay’s protection unit before TJ Slaton made the tackle near midfield.

Jordan Love is 15-of-20 passing for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Counterpart Jared Goff is 8-of-16 for 100 yards. The Packers’ pass rush has been terrific. Rashan Gary has two sacks and the Packers have five quarterback hits.

Second Quarter

Packers 23, Lions 6 (35 seconds remaining)

The Packers needed one more first down to get into scoring range but the drive stalled. On third-and-6, the Lions had good coverage before Derrick Barnes forced Jordan Love to throw it away. AJ Dillon had a 17-yard run behind blocks by Jon Runyan and Josh Myers.

Packers 23, Lions 6 (1:58 remaining)

The Packers got a big stop. On fourth-and-4, Preston Smith roared around stud right tackle Penei Sewell and whacked Jared Goff, so the Packers will get the ball at their 35 with 1:58 and two timeouts.

On third-and-10 to start the drive, Rashan Gary’s pressure forced Jared Goff to throw it away, but linebacker Isaiah McDuffie was flagged for illegal contact to prolong the drive. A 20-yard pass to Kalif Raymond picked up a third-and-2. However, pressure by Lukas Van Ness forced an intentional-grounding call and a loss of 11, which set the wheels in motion for the fourth-down stop.

Packers 23, Lions 6 (5:56 remaining)

On third-and-5, Jordan Love went to Christian Watson on a corner route. Watson tumbled to the turf and coach Matt LaFleur wanted a flag, but Watson’s feet got tangled with corner Cam Sutton. Anders Carlson, who missed an extra point earlier, split the uprights from 43. Love was incomplete on second and third down but is a sizzling 12-of-15 for 175 yards and two touchdowns, his rating a near-perfect 154.9.

Packers 20, Lions 6 (10:38 remaining)

Alas, a punt. After David Montgomery ran four consecutive times, Jared Goff just missed tight end Sam LaPorta on third-and-3. Wary of a potential fake, the Packers kept their defense on the field for the punt, which pinned them at the 14. But the field position has been flipped.

Packers 20, Lions 6 (14:55 remaining)

Starting at Detroit’s 23 following Karl Brooks’ strip and recovery, coach Matt LaFleur kept the offense on the field for fourth-and-2-feet to start the second quarter. It was a total disaster. Jordan Love and AJ Dillon collided on the handoff – and not by just a little – and Dillon was swarmed from there. Mark this play as a potential turning point.

First Quarter

Packers 20, Lions 6 (1:20 remaining)

On third-and-5, Lions quarterback Jared Goff tried to scramble for a first down. He got past two defenders but not rookie defensive tackle Karl Brooks, who knocked down Goff and knocked loose the ball. He also recovered. The Packers are setting up shop at the Lions’ 23.

Packers 20, Lions 6 (2:12 remaining)

In a stunning development, Rashan Gary hit quarterback Jared Goff just as Goff was ready to throw. The ball fluttered forward about 8 yards, where it was picked up on the run by safety Jonathan Owens for a 27-yard touchdown. Anders Carlson missed the extra point wide left.

Packers 14, Lions 6 (3:08 remaining)

On second-and-2 from the Lions’ 10, AJ Dillon was stopped short. Coach Matt LaFleur, presumably upset about the spot, was arguing all the way at the 10. He took a moment to call the play – a beautiful touchdown to Tucker Kraft. Kraft went from blocking Aidan Hutchinson to running out in the flat to catch the 9-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love. Love is 8-of-9 for 124 yards and two touchdowns, good for a perfect passer rating of 158.3. Christian Watson made a leaping catch at the sideline to convert a third-and-8 and Jayden Reed took an end-around for 15 yards by breaking one tackle and weaving through traffic.

Packers 7, Lions 6 (8:30 remaining)

The Lions answered the Packers’ easy touchdown drive with an easy touchdown of their own. Green Bay stuffed David Montgomery for 6 yards on four carries, but Jared Goff was 3-of-3 for 51 yards. One play after a 31-yard pass to tight end Sam LaPorta on play-action, Goff hit LaPorta for a 7-yard touchdown against cornerback Corey Ballentine. The point-after attempt was wide right. On the opening third-and-7, Jameson Williams sprinted away from Carrington Valentine for a gain of 13 on a pass that he caught at the line of scrimmage.

Packers 7, Lions 0 (12:16 remaining)

The Packers won the toss and took the ball – almost unheard of. The gamble worked as Jordan Love the Packers to a superb opening touchdown. On the first play, Love threw a 53-yard bomb to Christian Watson. The ball was underthrown but Watson went up and won it against safety Tracy Walker. On the next play, Watson took a shot from Walker but held on for a gain of 8. Finally, on second-and-10 from the 10, Jayden Reed ran a slot, caught the ball at the 4 and hauled rookie safety Brian Branch across the goal line. There wasn't much of a window for Love; the pass was perfect.

Jordan Love
Jordan Love gets ready to face the Lions :: Photo by Lon Horwedel/USA Today Sports Images

Impact Rookies

The Packers lead the NFL in receiving yards by rookies. Green Bay’s rookie class has contributed 97 receptions for 1,221 yards and six touchdowns; the Rams (897) and Lions (753) are well off the pace at second and third, respectively.

Detroit’s running backs, including rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, have provided 1,696 yards from scrimmage. That’s No. 1 in the league, just ahead of the Dolphins (1,683). While David Montgomery leads the Lions with 577 rushing yards, Gibbs, a first-round pick, has 512 rushing yards and 259 receiving yards.

“He’s so dynamic, not only as a runner, but he can run routes and catch the ball out of the backfield,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “That’s one of the things you loved about him when he was coming out of the draft. Got to be honest, when he got picked in Detroit, I might have had a few choice words. I was not happy about that. I just think he’s a dynamic player. I’ve got a lot of respect for the player and his explosive playmaking ability.”

Packers-Lions Inactives

The Packers will be without four defensive starters, with Darnell Savage on injured reserve and Jaire Alexander, Rudy Ford and De’Vondre Campbell inactive. That’s a huge disadvantage against a Lions offense that ranks sixth in scoring, second in yards, fourth in passing and fifth in rushing.

Here’s the full story.

Aidan Hutchinson vs. Zach Tom, Round 2

The runner-up for the big matchup is Packers right tackle Zach Tom vs. Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

When the teams met on Thursday night in Week 4, Hutchinson dominated with 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hits. That wasn’t all the fault of Tom, who was nowhere near 100 percent while playing with a brace to protect a knee injury sustained days earlier against New Orleans.

According to Pro Football Focus, Hutchinson is third in the NFL with 58 pressures. He rushes mostly from the defense’s left side or against the offensive right tackle. Meanwhile, of the 60 offensive tackles who’ve played at least 250 pass-protecting snaps, Tom ranks 17th in PFFs pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks allowed (one), hits and hurries per pass-blocking snap.

Of Hutchinson, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said: “He plays with great effort. He’s obviously got all the tools that good defensive ends have, where he’s got the length, he has the explosiveness. But the guys that are really good play really hard all the time. We’ve played a few of those guys this year, like the T.J. Watts, the Maxx Crosbys, the Hutchinsons where their effort is relentless every single play, and that’s how he plays. No matter what, you’re going to get his best, so we better come ready to go.”

All three of those players mentioned by Stenavich faced Tom. By PFF’s judgment, none of them beat Tom for a sack.

Watch: Packers at Lions Preview

The Big Story

The big story this week was that rookie tight end Luke Musgrave suffered an injured kidney, was hospitalized and then placed on injured reserve.

So, rather than Musgrave vs. Detroit’s Sam LaPorta in a matchup of premier rookie tight ends, it will be LaPorta against another rookie tight end, third-round pick Tucker Kraft.

While Musgrave was practically a starter from the moment he set foot in the locker room for the first time, it’s been a slog for Kraft. In his first four games, he played 13, two, 10 and 13 snaps. The last six games, he’s averaged 27.8 snaps with three games of 30-plus.

A small-school stud from South Dakota State, Kraft has blocked well and finally showed off his run-after-catch ability with a 27-yard catch. It was almost a 39-yard touchdown but he stepped out of bounds after hurdling a Chargers defender.

“It was awesome seeing him do that,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “He looked super-explosive on the sidelines. Made a really good play. Would have been awesome if he could’ve kept his foot in bounds right there. Every week, he’s just been getting better and better and better as he’s gotten more playing time with more opportunities. It’s going to be really cool to see him just take the reins and be the guy.”

Green Bay’s tight end corps might be the youngest in NFL history. With the rookie Musgrave out and fourth-year pro Josiah Deguara likely to be inactive with a hip injury, the Packers will line up with Kraft, undrafted rookie Ben Sims, who was claimed off waivers from the Vikings after final roster cuts, and undrafted rookie Henry Pearson.

Kraft has caught 5-of-7 targets for 43 yards, Sims has caught both targets for 14 yards and Pearson was elevated from the practice squad and will make his NFL debut.

LaPorta, meanwhile, ranks second among rookie tight ends and fifth among all tight ends with 50 catches, which he’s turned into 492 yards and four touchdowns. In Round 1 vs. Green Bay, he caught 4-of-5 targets for 56 yards.

The Big Matchup

Enjoy our Big Matchup story featuring Packers rookie receiver Jayden Reed vs. Lions rookie slot Brian Branch. In a trade with Green Bay, the Lions moved up in the second round to select Branch. A few picks later, the Packers grabbed “war daddy” Reed.

What’s a war daddy? And what is Reed thankful for on this Thanksgiving? Check out our pregame feature.

Big Matchup: ‘War Daddy’ Jayden Reed vs. Brian Branch

The Big Key

The Packers were crushed by the Lions in Week 4. Why? A lot of reasons, but let’s start with Green Bay’s offense, which was 3-of-11 for a season-low 27.3 percent on third down. Why was it so bad? Because the average third down required 10.4 yards to convert.

“Their defense is very physical,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “They’re an excellent unit. They play extremely hard. Their front is good, big, fast. They’ve got a lot of good tools.

“For us, I think one thing that we didn’t do a good job of on the first game is we got off-schedule a lot. We had a lot of long-yardage situations. We weren’t productive on first and second down, so we couldn’t be in those third-and-manageable situations. We definitely need to stay on track and make sure our offense is efficient. It’s going to be a tough task running the ball. These guys are pretty stout against the run, so we’ve just got to stick with it and just make sure that we stay on schedule and put ourselves in good third-and-manageable positions.”

The last three weeks, Green Bay has the best third-down offense in the NFL.

Vitals: Packers (4-6) at Lions (8-2)

Date and time: 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

Location: Ford Field.

TV: Fox (Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tim Rinaldi).

Stream: fuboTV offers more than 100 channels and a free trial.

Radio: Packers Radio Network (Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren), Westwood One (JP Shadrick and Derek Rackley) and SiriusXM 82, 225 or SiriusXM.us/PackersSXM

Betting line: The line has moved from Lions by 7.5 to Lions by 8.5 at SI Sportsbook.

For over/unders, it’s 253.5 passing yards for Jared Goff and 231.5 for Jordan Love. The favorites to score the first touchdown are David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta.

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.

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