Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

Breathe easy: Lions' Decker, Montgomery will play against Packers despite contrary report


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News


Green Bay, Wisc. — Throughout the week, all signs pointed to Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker and running back David Montgomery suiting up for Thursday night's game against the Green Bay Packers, but an NFL Network report early game-day morning stating neither would play launched the fan base into a frenzy.

Shortly after the initial report, The Detroit News was able to confirm through a team source that Decker and Montgomery will play against the Packers. The NFL Network has since issued a retraction, blaming a communication error for the initial, false report.



Decker will return to the lineup after missing the past two games because of a high-ankle sprain, while Montgomery was sidelined last Sunday against Atlanta thanks to a thigh bruise suffered during Detroit's Week 2 loss to Seattle.


The NFL Network also reported cornerback Emmanuel Moseley will make his season debut on Thursday, but this is also inaccurate. The veteran is likely a week away from playing in his first game with the Lions after signing as a free agent this past offseason.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions RB David Montgomery, LT Taylor Decker expected to play against Green Bay


Andrew Birkle
Detroit Free Press


Both Taylor Decker and David Montgomery said this week they planned to play in the Detroit Lions' Thursday night game against the Green Bay Packers.

Now that it's gameday, that appears to still be the case.

Both Decker and Montgomery are expected to play when the Lions visit Lambeau Field in a showdown for first place in the NFC North, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Thursday morning. There was some initial confusion after Pelissero reported that Decker and Montgomery had been ruled out, but he quickly clarified they are expected to give it a go.

Decker and Montgomery were listed as questionable on the Lions' Wednesday injury report. Decker has missed the past two games with a high ankle sprain, while Montgomery suffered a thigh bruise in the Lions' Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and sat out last week's win over the Atlanta Falcons.


Decker said Monday he still was dealing with pain in his right ankle, but planned to play "unless somebody who’s above me in the pecking order says differently."


"The staff is going to make the best decision for the long-term season," Decker said. "I mean I even, I’ve told the doctor and I’ve told (the training staff), I was like, 'If you guys leave it up to me I’ll play next week.' And they’re like, 'You’re not, you just can’t. you’re in a walking boot. You can’t. It’s going to be stupid. We could turn a couple-week thing into a season-long thing if you do something like that.'

The Lions did not have live practice reps this week, but held walk-throughs Monday-Wednesday before leaving for Green Bay.


Along with Decker and Montgomery, Emmanuel Moseley (knee/hamstring), Jonah Jackson (thigh) and Kerby Joseph (hip) all were listed as questionable to play Thursday and limited participants on the Lions' estimated practice report for every day this week.

Joseph said Tuesday he still was trying to "get right" from the injury he suffered against the Seahawks. The NFL Network also reports Moseley, who has not played this season after pulling his hamstring while rehabbing from a 2022 knee injury, is not expected to play and make his season debut against the Packers.


Campbell said this week that the organization was weighing whether to play one of its top free agent additions of the offseason with limited practice reps.

"The plan is work him in and I think more than anything it’ll probably be by series, certainly give him a couple in a row there where he gets a good feel, and I think probably most of it’ll be, we’ll put a governor on his reps so that we’re smart about that as he comes back," Campbell said. "And then really from there it’s just about, man, how does he feel, what’s his body saying and then it’s just about getting in conditioning like the rest of guys have done over time."


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[jaadam4]

I was hoping Decker would sit one more game. Yes we need him but we’ll be needing him the rest of the year too.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions, Packers fight for division supremacy: 'We kind of flourish' in games like this


Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


The Detroit Lions were on the road to recovery long before they went to Lambeau Field for Game No. 272 last season.

Their defense turned a corner sometime last fall, when the five rookies that were playing heavy minutes on that side of the ball seemed to blossom overnight and Jared Goff started showing glimpses of the talent that once made him a No. 1 overall pick.


Still, there’s something about that Sunday night in January, when the Lions spoiled the Green Bay Packers’ playoff hopes and ushered Aaron Rodgers out of the division, that still resonates nine months later.

“That’s a good win,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said this week. “On the road, division opponent, and if you can’t get in (the playoffs), that’s the way you got to end it. You win some games and you find a little bit of a flow and it’s just, it’s always good to win on the road, especially in this division.


“But I think that’s the extent of it and now it’s a new season. We know we can win out there, we’ve done it before, but you got to go earn it. It’s not going to be given. It’ll be loud, it’ll be a tough environment, they’re playing good, so here we go.”


The Lions and Packers meet Thursday night for the first time since their memorable 2022 regular season finale, when the Lions capped a season sweep of the NFC North’s longtime standard-bearer with a 20-16 win.


Lions fans flooded Lambeau Field that day and haven’t hopped off the hype train since.


Buoyed by a strong draft and smart additions in free agency, the Lions entered this season as favorites to win their first division title in 30 years. They knocked off the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 and, after a Week 2 stumble against the Seattle Seahawks, improved to 2-1 with a win Sunday over the Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field.


The Packers, thanks to wins over the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, are tied for first place in the division, and many in Detroit think this game is circled on their calendars.


“Maybe,” Goff said. “Yeah, they’re probably saying that over there. I don’t know. For us it’s, again, it’s a road division game and would be one that we’d like to win.”

As pivotal as last year’s game seems to sending the Lions and Packers down their current paths, the reality is both teams are vastly different than the ones that met 263 days ago.


Jordan Love, a 2020 first-round pick, finally succeeded Rodgers as Packers quarterback and has been a mixed bag through three starts. He has the second-worst completion percentage (53.1%) in the league, behind Zach Wilson, and has led one first-half touchdown drive this season, but he rallied Green Bay for a 17-point fourth quarter comeback against the Saints and has done a good job taking care of the ball (seven touchdowns, one interception) despite not having top receiver Christian Watson or top running back Aaron Jones most of the season.


Both Watson and Jones could return Thursday.


“He kind of plays similar to (Rodgers),” Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone said. “Obviously, he’s not him, but you see him make some like fade-away throws over the middle. I saw a couple on film like that. You could tell that he learned from him. You could tell that he rubbed off.”


The Lions return 17 starters from their Week 18 win over the Packers last season, but a half dozen of those players have been reduced to backup roles or won’t play Thursday because of injuries.

The Lions overhauled their secondary this offseason, with free agent addition Cam Sutton and rookie Brian Branch joining Jerry Jacobs as starting cornerbacks, and their offense relies heavily on new faces David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta.


“I know the challenge we have in front of us,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur told the Green Bay Press Gazette. “We’ve got a team that we’ve lost to three consecutive times that knocked us out of the playoffs last year. It’s an NFC North rival. I know what they’re all about. It’s a tough, gritty team, and we’ve got to make sure that we prepare to the best of our ability to give ourselves a chance to go out there and win.”


For all the changes the Lions have made since last January, longtime left tackle Taylor Decker said one thing that hasn’t is the team’s unflinching approach to big games and finally being in the spotlight, which is exactly where they’ll be playing for first place in a hostile environment Thursday night.


“Very similar to the season opener this year and the season finale last year, we just kind of relish those opportunities to be able to go and play primetime games in awesome atmospheres, even if they’re hostile to us,” Decker said. “I feel like we kind of flourish in those environments so ultimately it’s just going to come down to can we go do it again.”


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.


Next up: Packers

Matchup: Lions (2-1) at Green Bay (2-1).

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. Thursday; Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin.

TV/radio: Amazon Prime (Simulcast Channel 2 in Detroit); WXYT-FM (97.1).

Line: Lions by 1½.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions predictions vs. Green Bay Packers: Expect a close one at Lambeau Field



Dave Birkett
Carlos Monarrez
Jeff Seidel
Shawn Windsor

Detroit Free Press


Free Press sports writers share their predictions for the Detroit Lions' game Thursday against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field (8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime, Channel 2 in Detroit):


Dave Birkett

These are the two best teams in the NFC North, and frankly I don’t think the Packers are as good as the Lions. Jordan Love has been so-so in his first season as starter, and the Packers aren’t in a great spot when it comes to injuries. But Green Bay does have a talented defense, and playing a revenge game, at home, on Thursday night football, the intangibles seem to be in the Packers’ favor. The Lions won’t be intimidated by the environment, but they need to take better care of the football and they need their offense to play well on the road, which it hasn’t always done in recent years. Division games tend to be low-scoring, and I don’t think this will be any different. In a game that I think comes down to the final possession, I’m leaning Packers. The pick: Packers 21, Lions 20.


Carlos Monarrez

Even though Love is drawing comparisons to Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers after the Packers’ dramatic comeback Sunday, both defenses are playing well and will determine the winner of this week’s game more than the offenses. If Brian Branch has another big game in prime time, he’s going to start garnering a lot more interest for league awards. The pick: Lions 17, Packers 13.


Jeff Seidel

This isn’t going to be easy. The Packers have a top-eight scoring offense (the Lions are 12th) and a top-14 scoring defense (Lions are 15th). But the Lions should have no fear of playing at Lambeau Field after beating them last year in a critical game. Besides, it’s September. Not the frozen tundra. How good is Love? This game will give us a clear indication. The pick: Lions 27, Packers 24.


Shawn Windsor

Why not, eh? The Lions are a bit healthier and have confidence playing in Green Bay and have shown resilience in the road in tight games already. The Packers are respectable on both sides of the ball but not dominant, kind of like the Lions. The difference will be Jared Goff. The pick: Lions 23, Packers 20.

[whatever_gong82]

Lions-Packers: What to expect from Thursday’s big NFC North matchup



By Colton Pouncy and Matt Schneidman
Sep 28, 2023


The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers will face off Thursday night at Lambeau Field, in a game that could help decide the NFC North down the road.


The Lions (2-1) believe they’ve finally emerged from a rebuild, ready to compete for a division title. The Packers (2-1), looking to retool after trading Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, believe they have enough to remain competitive.


Ahead of the game, The Athletic turned to Packers writer Matt Schneidman and Lions writer Colton Pouncy to break down the matchup.



Matt Schneidman: With how the Vikings and Bears have started this season, am I wrong in saying we might be watching the NFC North’s primary rivalry for years to come on Thursday night?


Colton Pouncy: Unless the Bears or Vikings get their hands on Caleb Williams, I think that’s pretty fair to say. Actually, I wouldn’t rule out the Bears ruining Williams. So, yeah.


But right now, it really feels like the Packers and Lions are head and shoulders above the rest. Not just in the standings, but in the strength of their respective rosters and their collective young talent. About a week before these teams met in January, Lions coach Dan Campbell said the 2023 season was when he and GM Brad Holmes always envisioned their NFC North window opening. Personally, I really like what both of these teams have done in the draft. Some long-term questions remain, but there’s enough to feel good about the future of both franchises in the NFC North.


Schneidman: I agree. It feels like both teams have constructed promising young cores. The obvious difference is at quarterback, where the Packers have 24-year-old first-year starter Jordan Love and the Lions have veteran Jared Goff, but players like Aidan Hutchinson, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs give you the sense that Detroit could be a contender for a while. Similarly, Love, Rashan Gary, Jaire Alexander and the litany of first- or second-year contributors the Packers have give you a similar sense in Green Bay.

It seems as if both teams, though, are struggling with injuries right now. What’s the latest on that front in Detroit?


Pouncy: They Lions have lost safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and pass rushers Josh Paschal and James Houston to IR. Starting left tackle Taylor Decker (ankle) has missed the last two games. RB David Montgomery (thigh), S Kerby Joseph (hip) and RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai (knee) all sat last week versus the Falcons. CB Emmanuel Moseley (knee/hamstring), signed in free agency to start for this defense, has yet to play as he recovers from a torn ACL.

The good news for the Lions if that some of these players are expected back versus Green Bay. Joseph was limited in practice and should have a chance to play. He was a difference-maker against the Packers last year, with three interceptions in two games. The Packers obviously had a different dude at QB then, but Joseph is a trusted ballhawk. Decker is set to return, which isn’t a surprise. It would’ve taken a lot for him to miss this game. And it sounds like Montgomery will be back, too. He told me he’s never beaten the Packers. That seems to be driving him this week. They understand this is a big game.


Seems like the Packers are getting some of their guys back too?

Schneidman: They should be. The Packers were without five of their 10 best players against the Saints due to injury last Sunday and lost (arguably) a sixth, inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, to an ankle injury in the first quarter. Still, Green Bay erased a 17-0 fourth-quarter deficit to beat New Orleans 18-17.


Romeo Doubs let it slip Tuesday in the locker room that running back Aaron Jones will play. That’s a big one. He had 127 total yards and two touchdowns on 11 touches in the first two-and-a-half quarters against the Bears in Week 1 before injuring his hamstring on a 35-yard touchdown catch. He hasn’t played since, but he’ll be back for Thursday. This offense just isn’t the same with AJ Dillon as the feature back.

Wide receiver Christian Watson said the plan is for him to make his season debut on Thursday, too, after missing the first three games with a hamstring injury suffered in practice before Week 1. He tied for fifth in the NFL in air yards per target last season (13.98), so getting their best deep threat back should help the Packers create explosive play opportunities in the passing game.


Campbell, left tackle David Bakhtiari and left guard Elgton Jenkins are the three notable players ruled out. Watson and Jones were officially listed as questionable, along with Alexander, right tackle Zach Tom and cornerback Carrington Valentine.

Let’s talk quarterbacks. I think the outside perception of the Lions’ trade with the Rams was that Goff would just be a one-year or two-year bridge QB. Why has he been so successful in Ben Johnson’s offense?

continued..

[whatever_gong82]

Pouncy: The buzzword around here is comfort. There’s a deep trust between Goff and Johnson. He’s not walking on eggshells like he was in Los Angeles. The Lions and Johnson have crafted an offense that maximizes Goff’s strengths.

Goff was the fourth-best quarterback in expected points added per dropback a year ago and ranks seventh this season. He’s done well to take care of the football. He’s been particularly effective in the play-action game, ranking first in PA EPA in 2022 and seventh so far in 2023. The narrative that you can rattle Goff when you blitz him wasn’t the case last year. Detroit has one of the better pass-blocking offensive lines, and Goff’s EPA when facing five or more rushers a year ago was the fourth-best in the NFL. So far this season, Goff is pushing the ball downfield more, with 14.7 percent of his attempts going 20 or more yards downfield, which ranks eighth in the league. He’s just a more confident, mature version of the player we saw in L.A.


It’s early in the season, but one thing to watch for in this game: Goff’s EPA splits in man versus zone coverage are pretty drastic. He’s the fifth-best QB in zone EPA and the 26th-best in man EPA, per TruMedia. The Packers have played the most zone coverage and the least man coverage in the NFL through three games. Something to monitor.


Matt, Lions fans watched Rodgers run this division for years. They don’t know much about Love. How has he looked so far?

Schneidman: In short, above average. He’s had some accuracy issues — he sailed a would-be 61-yard touchdown over a wide-open Luke Musgrave’s head last Sunday, among other instances — but he’s impressed me with his playmaking ability. His deep-ball consistency needs work, but the command of the offense, ability to run and handful of tight-window throws suggest the Packers have their next guy.


Speaking of pushing the ball downfield, Love leads the NFL in average intended air yards per target (10.4), according to Next Gen Stats. However, he’s averaging only 6.8 air yards per completion, and that discrepancy of minus-3.6 is the second-biggest in the league behind only Mac Jones. It speaks in part to what I mentioned above, the Packers’ need to connect on more explosive passing plays. Getting Watson back should help in that. He’s their best deep threat and tied for fifth in the league last season in average air yards per target (13.98), per TruMedia. Love’s longest completion this season has also traveled 44 yards in the air, which ranks 21st in the NFL.


It’s early, but this team is fully bought into Love as their quarterback and empowered him as he faces the unenviable task of following two Hall of Famers. I’m not saying he’ll be the next one by any means, but he’s off to a good start despite there being expected room for improvement.

All right, to wrap this up, let’s talk defense. Hutchinson wreaked some havoc in Week 18 last season, especially when he moved away from Bakhtiari. How’s Detroit’s defense looking so far this season?


Pouncy: The Lions’ defense has been, dare I say, good? Or at least good relative to the last few years.

Hutchinson leads the league in pressures with 19 and his win rate of 21 percent ranks 13th among edges. Third-year linebacker Derrick Barnes has made the leap and is excelling against the run. Barnes ranks fourth in the NFL in stop percentage, per PFF (minimum 30 run snaps). Rookie Brian Branch has been an excellent addition as a versatile piece against the run and in coverage. We’re still learning what to make of them, but the early returns have been encouraging.


The Lions rank sixth in yards per play allowed (4.6). They’re allowing the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game (72). They’re 12th in points per drive (1.7). They’re not as reliant on the blitz to generate pressure this year, which is a positive development. Detroit ranked seventh in blitz rate and ninth in pressure percentage a year ago. This year, they rank 26th in blitz rate and eighth in pressure percentage. We need to see more, but this looks like a different defense.


What’s the story in Green Bay defensively, and how might the Packers look to slow down Detroit’s offense?



Schneidman: It starts and ends with Gary. If the Packers want to slow down Detroit’s offense, their best chance is cutting Gary loose and letting him take advantage of a banged-up Decker. Among players with at least 25 pass-rush snaps this season, Gary ranks first in pressure percentage (29.5). He’s also tied for sixth in the league with 3 1/2 sacks — three came last Sunday — and everyone above him on the list has at least 25 more pass-rush snaps. Gary has been on a pitch count since returning from the torn ACL he suffered against the Lions in Week 9 last season.


The Packers struggled against the run in a Week 2 loss to the Falcons, specifically against rookie Bijan Robinson. I counted the Packers missing 21 tackles and they allowed 4.7 yards per carry. That ain’t gonna cut it against the Lions and Gibbs, or Montgomery and Gibbs if both play. They were better against the Bears, who stink, and the Saints, who played without their top two running backs. Stopping the run against teams like the Falcons and Lions is a much more stern test. The Packers haven’t been able to consistently stop the run since general manager Brian Gutekunst took over — from 2018-2022, they rank 32nd in defensive rush EPA per snap — and they have yet to prove that this season will be much different.


Isaiah McDuffie, a 2021 sixth-round pick, will start in place of Campbell in base defenses, but the Packers would greatly benefit from having Alexander back to match up against the Lions’ complement of receivers for Goff. Behind the two-time All Pro, the Packers have only the rookie seventh-round pick Valentine and practice squad cornerback Corey Ballentine at outside corner.


Pouncy: Good stuff, my man. These look like the two top teams in the division, and it’s hard not to think about the implications of this one down the road.

Thursday night should be fun.

[Iron Lion]

So did Montgomery have the type of injury where he would've played vs ATL if it wasn't followed up by TNF against a division rival? Or did he truly need a week off to heal?

[CGVT]

So did Montgomery have the type of injury where he would've played vs ATL if it wasn't followed up by TNF against a division rival? Or did he truly need a week off to heal?

I *think* he needed the time. I had a deep thigh bruise 100 years ago when I was playing in high school. It seriously limited my movement. Took about two weeks before I was able to run and cut and I still felt it every time that muscle flexed for a couple weeks after that.

[jaadam4]

I *think* he needed the time. I had a deep thigh bruise 100 years ago when I was playing in high school. It seriously limited my movement. Took about two weeks before I was able to run and cut and I still felt it every time that muscle flexed for a couple weeks after that.

You’re so old

[ghandi]

So did Montgomery have the type of injury where he would've played vs ATL if it wasn't followed up by TNF against a division rival? Or did he truly need a week off to heal?

I thought initially they said he would be out for several weeks...He must be a fast healer or he is playing less than full strength.

[whatever_gong82]

Lions start strong, roll past Packers at Lambeau


A little something for the Forum, right off the presses online. I'll post the Freep one in a few minutes.

Justin Rogers
The Detroit News

Green Bay, Wis. — The Detroit Lions started fast and finished strong, firmly establishing themselves as the favorites in the NFC North.

With a dominant first-half performance on both sides of the ball, the Lions jumped out to a 24-point lead, weathered a comeback effort in the second half and finished off the Green Bay Packers with methodical 14-play, fourth-quarter touchdown drive to score a 34-20 victory at Lambeau Field Thursday night.

Things got off to an ominous start for the Lions (3-1) when quarterback Jared Goff put an ill-advised throw off his back foot into traffic where it was intercepted by Packers safety Rudy Ford. As it turned out, it would be the only play of consequence the home team would make in the opening half.


Despite starting their drive at Detroit's 16-yard line, the Packers (2-2) couldn't gain a yard and were forced to settle for a 34-yard Anders Carlson field goal. It would end up being their only points the first two quarters. The Packers couldn't even muster a first down until midway through the second quarter, when the Lions jumped into the neutral zone and provided one for free.


Detroit had no such problems scoring, racking up 27 points in the opening half. They got that ball rolling their second drive, going 75 yards in just seven plays. Goff connected with tight end Sam LaPorta on a 35-yard pass to convert a third down, setting up a 24-yard touchdown toss to Amon-Ra St. Brown on a double-move that badly fooled Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas.

It marked the third time this season Goff has led the Lions for a touchdown the drive after throwing an interception.


Detroit added seven more on their next possession after Goff took advantage of St. Brown drawing double coverage on third down to hit Josh Reynolds for a 23-yard gain across the middle. Running back David Montgomery, returning to the lineup after a one-game absence with a thigh injury, carried the ball four of the next five snaps, crossing the goal line for a 3-yard score to cap the series.

As the Packers continued to struggle moving the ball, the Lions kept racking up the yardage, netting 27 yards on a pass to Reynolds before a 40-yard pickup by Kalif Raymond on a reverse, which set up a chip shot field goal for Riley Patterson to extend the lead to two touchdowns, 17-3, early in the second quarter.


Instead of mounting a response, the Packers immediately gave the ball back as quarterback Jordan Love's pass was tipped by linebacker Alex Anzalone and intercepted by cornerback Jerry Jacobs. Taking over at Green Bay's 7-yard line, Montgomery needed two carries to return to the end zone, making it 24-3 following the extra point.

To add insult to injury, the Lions added another field goal just before the half, taking a 24-point advantage into the half.

Through two quarters, the Lions outgained the Packers 284-21, with the defense building on its sack parade a week earlier by dropping Love behind the line four times. The Packers quarterback had been sacked just three times the first three weeks of the season.

The Packers finally managed to find footing to opener the third quarter. A 24-yard pass to Christian Watson and an unnecessary roughness penalty committed by Anzalone quickly put Green Bay in field goal range. But needing touchdowns, they opted to go for it on fourth-and-9 from the 17. From there, Love would find receiver Romeo Doubs for 15 yards down to the 2-yard line before connecting with a wide-open Watson for a 1-yard score two plays later. With a two-point conversion throw from Love to Jayden Reed, the deficit was cut to two scores.



The two sides traded punts before the Packers once again hit paydirt. The big play came when Love found Reed for 44 yards on a deep ball, beating the coverage of cornerback Will Harris, who was temporarily filling in for rookie Brian Branch after he suffered an ankle injury the previous drive.


Two plays later, Love scrambled up the gut for a 9-yard touchdown on the first snap of the fourth quarter. But this time, the 2-point conversion fell short when Lions defensive end John Cominsky stopped a Love run just shy of the goal line, leaving Detroit up 10.

Detroit finally settled, counterpunching with a long, clock-eating drive that appeared to end with a 30-yard Patterson field goal, but the officiating crew flagged Packers linebacker Quay Walker for unsportsmanlike conduct for leaping over the line attempting to block the kick.

With a fresh set of downs, the Lions handed the ball to Montgomery four consecutive plays, going for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. The touchdown plunge, the veteran back's third score of the game, came with six minutes remaining and all but put an end to the Packers' comeback hopes.


A last-ditch effort by Green Bay was halted by Jacobs, who stepped in front of a Love pass for his second interception of the game, ending a threat in the red zone.

The Packers did manage to add a 50-yard field goal before the final whistle, but it mattered little after the ensuing onside kick skipped out of bounds. Still, it provided an opportunity for Montgomery to go over 100 yards on the night. He eclipsed the mark with a 16-yard romp the first snap of Detroit's final possession and finished with 121 yards on 32 carries.

With the victory, the Lions move to 3-1, seizing sole possession of the division regardless of the results from the remaining games on this week's slate. The Packers fall to 2-2 with the loss. The Lions will return home to battle the Carolina Panthers in Week 5.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions dominate early, come through late in 34-20 win at Green Bay Packers



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



GREEN BAY, Wis. – There’s something about playing in primetime games – and at Lambeau Field – that brings out the best in the Detroit Lions.

David Montgomery ran for three touchdowns in his return from a thigh bruise and the Lions took advantage of a late Green Bay penalty to beat the Packers, 34-20, and take sole possession of first place in the NFC North.

The Lions (3-1) have won four straight against the Packers dating back to 2021, including in the final game of the regular season last year, when they spoiled Green Bay’s playoff hopes on Sunday Night Football.

On Thursday, the Lions played their most dominant first half of the season and survived a sloppy third quarter to win their second primetime game of the season. They also beat the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL season opener at Arrowhead Stadium.


Montgomery ran for a season-high 121 yards on 32 carries and scored his final touchdown with 6 minutes to play, after Packers linebacker Quay Walker was called for an obscure leaping penalty on a Lions field goal try.

The Packers, who trailed 27-3 at halftime, pulled within 10 points on a Jordan Love touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, set up by a long pass on the final play of the third quarter when the Packers appeared to snap the ball after the game clock expired.


Jared Goff drove the Lions into field goal range on the ensuing possession, and the Lions sent Riley Patterson on for a short kick after Jahmyr Gibbs was stopped short of a first down on third-and-9. Patterson made a 30-yard field goal and both teams trotted out for a kickoff when officials threw a late flag on Walker for taking a running start to leap over the line on a block attempt.

The Lions accepted the penalty, and Montgomery scored four plays later on a 1-yard run.


Montgomery had his best rushing day since running for 122 yards in a Chicago Bears loss to the Green Bay Packers last September, and Jared Goff completed 19 of 28 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown for the Lions.

Goff threw his third interception in as many weeks on the game’s opening possession, gifting the Packers (2-2) an early 3-0 lead. But the Lions dominated play the rest of the half.


Goff had a 24-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Montgomery scored on a 3-yard run on the Lions’ next two possessions, and Montgomery added a 2-yard scoring run and Patterson had two field goals in the second quarter.

The Lions outgained the Packers 284 yards to 21 in the first half and held Green Bay to three first downs in the first two quarters – two of them coming on Lions penalties.


Love led a 12-play, 86-yard touchdown drive on the opening possession of the third quarter, then scored on a 9-yard run on a quarterback draw play on the second play of the fourth quarter.

The Packers missed the ensuing two-point attempt with a chance to pull within one score, and the Lions followed with a 15-play drive culminating in Montgomery’s touchdown.


Love finished 22 of 36 passing for 246 yards for the Packers.

Jerry Jacobs had two interceptions for the Lions, who followed up their seven-sack performance in last week’s win over the Atlanta Falcons with five more sacks Thursday.


(My note: the writer said this game was played Sunday, when it was played on Thursday night.)

EDIT: He corrected it, so I'll change it up above.


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[froot loops]

I *think* he needed the time. I had a deep thigh bruise 100 years ago when I was playing in high school. It seriously limited my movement. Took about two weeks before I was able to run and cut and I still felt it every time that muscle flexed for a couple weeks after that.

Polk High did not have the training staff that the Lions have.

[CGVT]

Polk High did not have the training staff that the Lions have.

Well done!