Mash Unit vs Trash Unit. Gameday Thread. packers at Lions 12/5/24

[El Axe]

With the new kickoff rules it doesn't take much to get into field goal range.

You can tell Green Bay was ready for the 4th downs, the failed 4th down probably needed to be audibled into a play action based on the front.

I figure the Lions had a 75% chance of converting that 4th down and basically winning the game outright.

Kick the field goal with 40sec and the Packers get the ball on the 30. With our remaining defensive players and their excellent offense, I don't like the odds of keeping them from moving the ball 35 yards and kicking the tying field goal. It's just a couple of good plays. I'm thinking GB converts that 60% of the time. Game goes to OT, so 50-50 on who wins there.

Going for it, about 75% chance of winning. Kicking it, about 70% of winning. It's close if the odds I'm pulling out of my butt are any good -- which means that you might as well make the bad-a$$ call.

[maxw3ll]

With the new kickoff rules it doesn't take much to get into field goal range.

You can tell Green Bay was ready for the 4th downs, the failed 4th down probably needed to be audibled into a play action based on the front.

Not for Bates. That kick was good from 65 and he knew it. The rest was all to bleed the clock.

[NewOrleansLion]

That felt like winning a playoff game, and it’s awfully nice to not have to go back 33 years to remember what it felt like to win a playoff game.

[El Axe]

Okay, someone correct me if I'm wrong. On the play before the failed 4th-down attempt, they gave the Lions a terrible, incorrect, spot.

If you go to 5:41 on the replay video, you can see Patrick get the ball to the 31.8 yard line before he gets touched by a GB player. On the ensuing 4th down play, the ball is nearly a yard further away, just short of the 31. 4th and a quarter-yard is different than 4th and a long full yard.

[whatever_gong82]

Rapid Rewind: Lions clinch playoff berth in slugfest with franchise-record 11th straight win

Justin Rogers
Dec 6




Detroit — Billed as a heavyweight fight between two of the top teams in the NFC, the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers went toe-to-toe in a thrilling slugfest Thursday night at Ford Field.

The Lions controlled the first half and went into the locker room with a 10-point lead, but it was gone less than four minutes into the third quarter after the Packers struck quickly for a touchdown to open the frame and scored a second shortly after Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw an interception on the ensuing drive.


Detroit would settle down as the sides traded the lead three times until the Packers tied the game with under four minutes remaining with a short field goal.

But the Lions had the answer. Goff connected on four consecutive passes, pushing the team into field goal range at the two-minute warning.


Facing fourth-and-1 with under a minute remaining, the Lions opted to go for it. Goff stumbled taking the snap, causing the home crowd to gasp, but the QB got it into the belly of running back David Montgomery while falling to the turf. The back managed to convert and after a kneel down, kicker Jake Bates drilled the 35-yard game-winner to give the Lions the 34-31 victory.

With the victory, the Lions clinched a playoff berth and set a franchise record with 11 consecutive wins, moving to 12-1 on the season. The Packers fell to 9-4 with the loss.


Game ball

The interception was ugly, but Goff responded to the mistake in a big way, throwing two touchdowns in the second half and orchestrating the game-winning drive.

Scoring summary

First quarter

● 9:41 — Taking the opening kickoff, Detroit put together an 11-play drive, converting a trio of third downs along the way. The last one came via an illegal contact penalty deep in the red zone, setting up Montgomery’s 3-yard scoring run. LIONS 7, PACKERS 0


Second quarter

● 13:01 — Taking over near midfield after a turnover, the Lions worked into field goal range with a 10-yard pass to Sam LaPorta and an unnecessary roughness penalty against Packers linebacker Quay Walker before stalling. Kicker Jake Bates made certain the Lions came away with points, knocking home a 43-yard field goal. LIONS 10, PACKERS 0

● 5:35 — The Packers drove 70 yards, picking up 61 on the ground, including a 14-yard scramble by quarterback Jordan Love. The Lions appeared to squash the threat with an interception in the end zone after Terrion Arnold deflected a throw that was corralled by Carlton Davis III, but the rookie was flagged for pass interference on the play. That set up first-and-goal from the 1-yard line and running back Josh Jacobs punched it in the next snap. LIONS 10, PACKERS 7

● 0:11 — Massive response by the Lions, driving 70 yards in 12 plays, and just as importantly, they used nearly all the remaining clock. Leaning on a balanced attack, the Lions needed four tries once inside the 5-yard line, finally accomplishing the feat with a 2-yard touchdown toss to running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who ran an angle route out of the backfield. LIONS 17, PACKERS 7


Third quarter

● 13:15 — The Packers came out swinging after the break, connecting on a 59-yard deep shot to Christian Watson, who beat the coverage of Davis down the right sideline. Three snaps later, despite tight coverage by the veteran corner, Love threaded a needle to tight end Tucker Kraft for a 12-yard touchdown. LIONS 17, PACKERS 14

● 11:15 — Three plays after taking over in the red zone via an interception, the Packers were back into the end zone, grabbing their first lead of the night. It was Jacobs for the second time in the contest, running it in from 6 yards out to put the Packers in front. PACKERS 21, LIONS 17

● 5:02 — A gutty response, the Lions converted a fourth-and-1 near midfield with a QB sneak, got into a first-and-goal situation when Gibbs narrowly avoided being tackled behind the line before turning the handoff into a 20-yard gain, and Tim Patrick put a bow on the series with a 3-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-goal. LIONS 24, PACKERS 21


Fourth quarter

● 14:20 — The Lions’ aggression finally came back to bite them. Coughing it up on downs after getting stopped on a fourth-down try from their 31-yard line, the Packers cashed in on the short field. Most of the damage was done on a 21-yard pass to Tucker Kraft, but it was Jacobs getting his third touchdown, slicing through heavy traffic for the 4-yard score. PACKERS 28, LIONS 24

● 8:39 — Goff completed all five of his passes for 50 yards on the possession, culminating with a 1-yard touchdown to Patrick out of play-action on third-and-goal. LIONS 31, PACKERS 28

● 3:38 — The Lions gave up two big passing gains when Jack Campbell overran the pocket on a blitz on one and Brian Branch missed a tackle on another. The Packers appeared to have a go-ahead touchdown, but it was wiped off the board by an offensive interference infraction against Watson, leaving them to settle for a short field goal. LIONS 31, PACKERS 31

● 0:00 — Bates hit the game-winner after an 11-play drive. LIONS 34, PACKERS 31


Turnovers

● On the first snap of the second quarter, Packers receiver Christian Watson took the ball in space and attempted to hurdle a defender, but Davis was able to poke the ball free from behind. The fumble was recovered by linebacker David Long Jr.

● After Green Bay sliced Detroit’s lead to three to start the third quarter, the home team coughed it up three plays into their response. Goff attempted to force the ball to Patrick, but the throw was undercut by Keisean Nixon, who brought it back to Detroit’s 16-yard line.


Key stats

● Goff completed 32-of-41 for 283 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

● Jameson Williams paced the Lions with five catches for 80 yards.

● Montgomery and Gibbs combined for just 94 yards with 29 carries, but added 63 with 11 combined receptions.

● The Packers finished with only 298 yards of offense. Campbell paced the unit with eight tackles. Za’Darius Smith recorded the lone sack, on the Packers’ first offensive snap.




Notable

● With several injuries along the defensive front, Brodric Martin made the first start of his career. Also starting for the Lions was newcomer Jonah Williams.

By the end of the first half, the team had used 19 different defenders with each logging at least four snaps.

● Gibbs and Montgomery became the first backfield tandem in team history to each score 12 touchdowns from scrimmage in a season.

● Gibbs also went over 1,000 rushing yards for the season.


Injuries

● Defensive tackle Alim McNeill missed most of the first quarter while being evaluated for a concussion. He returned for the second quarter, but was eventually ruled out during the half.

● Guard Kevin Zeitler had to briefly exit in the first quarter, leading to the first offensive snaps of rookie Christian Mahogany’s career.


Inactives

Most of Detroit’s inactives were easy to predict after the team ruled out offensive tackle Taylor Decker, nose tackle DJ Reader, and defensive linemen Josh Paschal and Levi Onwuzurike earlier in the week.

Also not dressing on Thursday were offensive tackle Giovanni Manu, guard Kayode Awosika and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. All three were healthy scratches.


Next game

The Lions get a delayed mini-bye ahead of welcoming the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills (10-2) to Ford Field on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 4:25 p.m.





Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

Bluesky: Justin-Rogers

[Mainevent]

I thought the Lions were on the short end of several questionable spots tonight.

[whatever_gong82]

[whatever_gong82]

https://x.com/NFLonPrime/status/1864894518593462719

[whatever_gong82]

Below is the last 2 minutes of the game:

[whatever_gong82]

[whatever_gong82]

[froot loops]

After looking at those highlights, I know Jared Goff is only the 14th best quarterback, but he was fucking dealing tonight.

[whatever_gong82]

[whatever_gong82]

[Iron Lion]

This one was crucial. Now any combination of 3-1 basically guarantees the #1 seed. No matter what, the tiebreaker vs Philly will now be net points, and so now they have to out-net us by about 85 points the rest of the way and also win out, provided we win 3 of the next 4.