Packers Survive Lions, Take Lead in NFC Playoff Chase

The Green Bay Packers escaped Detroit with a 31-24 victory on Sunday. Paired with New Orleans losing at Philadelphia, Green Bay not only clinched the NFC North but took the lead in the race for the No. 1 seed.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC North championship. And they took the lead in the NFC playoff race.

Who knows what’s ahead.

The Packers, despite their shaky defense and heinous special teams, took care of business against the depleted Detroit Lions, earning a 31-24 victory on Sunday at Ford Field. Paired with the Philadelphia Eagles’ shocking victory over the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay took control of the No. 1 seed with three games remaining.

In his postgame Zoom, Davante Adams wore a division champions hat and a "Won Not Done" T-shirt.

“We’ve got a lot more work in front of us,” Adams said, noting he's been a part of three NFC Championship Game losses. “You know, this is a pretty familiar position for me. I put this T-short on quite a few times now over the past seven years. Just kind of have that Kobe mind-set, you know? We’re definitely not done. We got a lot more work to be put in and get where we ultimately want to be. But we’re putting ourselves in a pretty good position right now. We’ve just got to keep our head down and keep working.”

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Green Bay entered the game ranked No. 1 in scoring offense while Detroit was No. 31 in scoring defense and missing four starters due to injuries. The Packers did what was expected. Aaron Rodgers got the Packers rolling with some big plays early and they piled up one third-down conversion after another to take control.

The Packers turned a 14-all tie at halftime into a 28-14 lead with 12 minutes remaining. Rodgers’ 6-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal gave Green Bay the lead, and his third touchdown pass of the day, a 4-yarder to Robert Tonyan, put Green Bay in command. At that point, the Packers had a 26-3 edge in second-half plays.

Detroit stayed in the game, though, with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Kerryon Johnson bullied his way into the end zone to make it 28-21 with 6:30 remaining. Three defensive penalties didn’t help matters.

Thus, the pressure was on the Packers’ offense. It didn’t quite deliver the knockout but it did enough. A quick pass into the flat turned into a gain of 29 when Adams broke a tackle behind the line and took off down the sideline. However, the drive stalled. Mason Crosby lined up for a 52-yard field goal but a false start on Elgton Jenkins moved it back to 57. 

No worries. Crosby, who hit game-winning field goals in both games against Detroit last season after missing five kicks at Ford Field in 2018, split the pipes to make it 31-21 with 3:30 remaining. Knowing its significance, Crosby celebrated the kick with both arms stretched toward the stadium roof.

“I thought he was going to make it and that was going to be basically for the win,” Rodgers said. “He’s so reliable; he has been for so many years for us.”

Green Bay’s ghastly special teams showed up again, with Jamal Agnew returning the kickoff 71 yards. With star quarterback Matthew Stafford injured on a third-down scramble on the previous possession, it was up to Chase Daniel to play the role of hero. He couldn’t deliver. Za’Darius Smith drew a holding penalty on Daniel’s touchdown scramble, so the Lions had to settle for a 32-yard field goal that made it 31-24 with 1:49 to go.

Detroit’s Miles Killebrew was out of bounds by an eyelash upon recovering the onside kick, and Rodgers converted a third-and-5 with a completion to Tonyan to clinch the victory.

Rodgers finished 26-of-33 passing for 290 yards with three touchdown passes, one touchdown run and zero turnovers. His passer rating was 133.6, marking an eighth consecutive game of 100-plus ratings. With 39 touchdowns vs. four interceptions, he should be deep in the heart of the MVP race.

“Without a doubt in my mind should be the front-runner for the MVP,” coach Matt LaFleur said.

The Packers and Saints – who had their eight-game winning streak snapped – have matching 10-3 records. Because of its Week 3 victory at New Orleans, Green Bay has the tiebreaker in the race for the No. 1 seed, the lone first-round bye and homefield advantage.

For as impressive as Green Bay’s offense looked to start the game and as strong as its defense looked during the middle portion of the half, it was a 14-14 stalemate at intermission.

Both quarterbacks were acting like hot knives through the buttery defense. Rodgers completed his first 10 passes and was 12-of-15 for 149 yards with two touchdowns and a 147.6 rating. The touchdowns came on back-shoulder passes against Amani Oruwariye. After the Lions drove to an opening score, Rodgers hit Adams for a 56-yard catch-and-run score. On the next possession, it was Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s turn, with an impressive all-hands catch for the 14-yard connection.

Stafford was 17-of-22 for 203 yards with one touchdown and a 120.1 rating. The Lions have riddled the middle of Green Bay’s defense. The saving grace was the four sacks, including one apiece by safety Darnell Savage and defensive tackle Kenny Clark to get a stop before halftime.