Watch: Toure’s Acrobatic Catch Gave Packers Life

Samori Toure made a difficult catch to convert a fourth-and-2 in the final moments of the Green Bay Packers' loss to the Detroit Lions.

DETROIT – With the Green Bay Packers in desperation mode on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, there were limited options for Aaron Rodgers. Romeo Doubs was injured on the first play of the game. Christian Watson was being evaluated for a concussion. With Sammy Watkins again a nonfactor and Randall Cobb on injured reserve, Rodgers looked to Samori Toure.

With the Packers facing a fourth-and-2 with 1:09 remaining, Rodgers went deep to the seventh-round draft pick, who made a superb catch for a gain of 32 yards to the Lions’ 17. Cornerback Jeff Okudah, who was beaten on the play, stripped the ball from Toure but the ball bounced and dribbled and rolled its way out of bounds before Okudah could recover.

It didn’t matter. The drive stalled with four consecutive incompletions, and the Packers lost 15-9.

Toure finished the day with two catches for 34 yards. He would have had a bigger day – and the Packers might have earned a season-saving victory – had Rodgers thrown it about a yard further on a third-and-11 from the Lions’ 44 on the opening series of the second half. Toure had gotten behind the defense but safety Kerby Joseph – the star of the day – broke up the pass near the goal line.

“I had some shitty throws, for sure,” Rodgers said.

Lions coach Dan Campbell gave the game ball to embattled defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. His defense, which had been on pace to give up the most points in NFL history, held the Packers to a lone touchdown even though Green Bay crossed midfield on every true possession.

“It’s a hell of a job, man,” Campbell said. “Coaches his heart out and he put everything into it, as he always does, and those guys responded. We knew we needed takeaways today. That defense, man, they rose up. I thought we played aggressive. I did think we challenged on the perimeter. Look, some of the plays they made, we were in the fight, and that’s all you can ask for. We’re in it. We’re in it. All right, they made a play, but I felt like, man, we made them go the hard way, the long, hard way, and we were able to sustain. And our defense, to go down to the wire, and our defense to make the final stop for the win, I think it’s crucial.”

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