DETROIT, MI (WTAQ) – A meaningless game?
Not to the two win Detroit Lions who pulled out all kinds of stops to beat the Green Bay Packers 37-30 in the regular season finale at Ford Field, ending the Pack’s six game winning streak and giving Head Coach Matt LaFleur’s team plenty to think about as they enter the NFL playoffs as the NFC’s number one seed for the second year in a row.
Because the post-season pole position was wrapped up last week, LaFleur sat down a couple of wounded starters, played many more a half or less and crossed his fingers no new injuries occurred. Don’t get him wrong, while he liked the team’s effort, he said there’s no celebrating effort around here, “We’re the Green Bay Packers, we’re about winning football,” and he was disappointed they got fooled twice on trick plays for scores and couldn’t hold a late, 4th quarter lead.
Aaron Rodgers played all but a kneel down snap at the end of the first half, and he played well, 14 of 18 for 138 yards and two scores, all but locking up his second straight and 4th NFL MVP award. He finished the year as the league’s passer rating leader, tossing 37 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions. Davante Adams played long enough to catch 6 passes for 55 yards, breaking Jordy Nelson’s 7 year old receiving yardage record. He finished his remarkable season with 123 receptions for 1553 yards, both Green Bay standards.
And the offensive line welcomed back rookie center Josh Myers, out with a knee injury since mid-October and more importantly, welcomed back All Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari who made his 2021 season debut on the second weekend of 2022. Bakhtiari suffered a torn ACL on New Year’s Eve of 2020 and after working incredibly hard for perhaps a mid-season return, suffered a setback that required another arthroscopic procedure in late November.
David Bakthiari all smiles after playing his first game of the season.
Bakhtiari played well into the second quarter, 27 snaps in all and sounded grateful and thankful he finally made it back.
With two of the five starters back on the offensive line, the Packers went 74 yards in 13 plays to grab the lead on the game’s opening series. Allen Lazard finished it with a one yard scoring grab.
A Dean Lowry sack of Jared Goff forced Detroit into punt formation but at 2-13-1 on the year, Head Coach Dan Campbell started pulling out stops early. He called a fake from his own 35 yard line and punter Jack Fox’s pass to Godwin Igwebuike went through his hands with linebacker Tipa Galaei giving chase. Given great field position, the Packers couldn’t convert as Rodgers was sacked to force a punt.
Then Detroit got really creative. Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown took a counter handoff but pitched the ball to another receiver and Tom Kennedy rolled to his right and lofted a deep pass to a wide open Kalif Raymond for an embarrassing 75 yard touchdown.
Rodgers drove the Packers into Detroit territory again but his 4th and 4 pass to Josiah Deguara was smothered for only a gain of one. It took Detroit 10 plays to cover the 57 yards and on 4th and goal from the two, St. Brown got inside of a zone cover to catch the touchdown pass for a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter. The little brother of Green Bay’s Equanimeous St. Brown had 4 catches for 48 yards on the drive.
Lazard found the end zone again with a juggling 29 yard catch but Mason Crosby missed the point after wide right. Detroit made it 17-13 at the half when Riley Patterson knocked through a 34 yard field goal with :02 on the clock.
The defense got a three and out stop to open the third quarter and Amari Rodgers fielded a 67 yard punt with room to run, bringing it back a season best 23 yards to the 31. With Jordan Love now under center, the Lions sacked him on second and 3 and on third down, a short pass to Juwann Winfree got knocked loose and the Lions recovered at the 36.
On the first snap, another trick play that fooled the defense again. Jamaal Williams took the handoff, flipped the ball to St. Brown on the reserve and he lateraled it back to Goff. Chandon Sullivan got lost watching the misdirection and tight end Brock Wright flared up the right sideline to make the catch and run for a 36 yard touchdown that built the Lion lead to 24-13.
LaFleur was rightfully furious about the defensive breakdowns after the game.
But Love found a rhythm, opening the next drive with a 26 yard run and catch to Dominique Dafney. A.J. Dillon hammered out tough yards but the drive stalled at the 17. Crosby connected from 35 to pull Green Bay back to within 8.
The Packers were able to convert a 4th and 2 on the next drive capped by Patrick Taylor’s first NFL touchdown, a one yard plunge that got Green Bay within a pair. But Love was rushed on the two point try and couldn’t connect to Winfree on the edge of the end zone.
The Lions burned 7:33 off the clock on a 14 play drive that resulted in Patterson’s 36 yard field goal to make it 27-22 but that set up the biggest play of the day for the offense. Love flipped a short screen to Deguara who got a block from Lucas Patrick that cleared out two Detroit defenders. Deguara slipped the tackle attempt of Tracy Walker and sprinted 62 yards for a go ahead touchdown. Off play action, Love cruised into the right corner for the conversion and a 30-27 lead with 4:49 remaining.
But the defense couldn’t get the key stop. St. Brown held on after a big hit and covered 28 yards and just inside the two minute warning, DeAndre Swift got the left corner and rolled in for a 14 yard TD run putting Detroit back up 34-30.
On the second snap after the kickoff, Love’s pass was deflected by Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Rodgers tried to corral it but it bounced off his hands and was picked off by CJ Moore who returned it 21 yards to the 15. The defense held to forced another field goal but the Packers had to burn two of their three timeouts.
With one last shot and :48 to work with, Love found St. Brown for 18 yards to the 40 but under pressure up the middle again, his next pass sailed into the arms of deep safety Walker and the ballgame was over.
Post game comments from LaFleur reflected his disappointment in the outcome:
Detroit outgained the Packers 404-378 and three, second half turnovers spoiled the comeback effort.
Running back Aaron Jones (knee) and linebacker De’Vondre Campbell (elbow) were held out of the game as a precaution, joining Jaire Alexander, Shawn Davis, Jake Hanson, Jack Heflin and Kingsley Keke on the inactive list.
The only injury of note from the game was a back issue that sent Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the locker room in the first half. LaFleur did not offer an assessment post-game.
The 13-4, NFC North Champs now await the Super Wild Card weekend to see who will be coming to Lambeau Field in the Divisional Round on either January 22 or 23. The NFC playoff opening weekend matchups will have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,(13-4) the number two seed, will host the 7th seeded Philadelphia Eagles (9-7). The Dallas Cowboys (12-5) will be the three seed and take on the San Francisco 49ers (9-7) the six seed who clinched their spot with an overtime victory over the Rams in L.A. And the matchup of most interest to the Packers if the other higher seeds advance, the number 4 L.A. Rams (12-5) will face the Arizona Cardinals (11-6) with the winner likely headed to the frozen tundra in a couple of weeks. The Packers beat both of those teams during the regular season but now, it’s the second season.
