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The Lions have picked up two first downs now. It would appear this game is coming to a close.
The Detroit Lions showed why they are one of the best teams in the NFL on Sunday, as they took a trip up to rainy Green Bay and throttled the rival Packers, 24-14. The Lions have now won six straight games and own first place in the NFC North as well as the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC.
Jared Goff, who again relied on his two-headed backfield, completed 18 of 22 passes for just 145 yards and one touchdown. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 138 rushing yards, while Gibbs found the end zone once.
Jordan Love was questionable to play with a groin injury suffered last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he did not look entirely healthy. Love completed 23 of 39 passes for 273 yards, including one terrible pick six that came just before the halftime break. Jayden Reed was Love's leading receiver with 113 yards on five catches, while Josh Jacobs rushed for 95 yards on 13 carries.
Green Bay's miscues on offense, as well as its general lack of efficiency, led to this loss, while Detroit looked fully prepared to take advantage of this opportunity. Let's take a look at what went down in Green Bay on Sunday.
Why the Lions won
How was the high-flying Lions offense going to look in their first outdoor game of the season in terrible conditions? That was the main question coming into this week, but they were actually the better unit.
Detroit scored points on three of its first four drives, and dropped a whopping 17 of its 24 points scored in the second quarter. The Lions didn't turn the ball over, won the time of possession battle and were efficient -- which has become their calling card. Detroit is the only team since at least 1940 to score more touchdowns (28) than passing incompletions (24) in a six-game span within a season.
Why the Packers lost
The Packers outgained the Lions in yardage 411 to 261, but still lost by double digits. There were several miscues that either ruined drives or just prohibited Green Bay from scoring. The Packers dropped six passes in the wet weather, while Love failed to hold onto three snaps out of the shotgun -- including two in the red zone.
The Packers didn't convert a single third down until there were three minutes remaining in the third quarter, and turned the ball over on downs at the 9-yard line early in the fourth quarter, which could have been a turning point.
Turning point
Down 18 points with 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Packers attempted to go for it on fourth-and-1 nine yards away from the end zone. But Jacobs couldn't move the chains, and the Lions took over on offense.
This was a huge moment.
Play of the game
Just before halftime, Love was attempting to lead a quick scoring drive. Instead, he gifted six points to the other team, throwing a terrible interception to Kerby Joseph.
This was Joseph's sixth interception of the season, which is tied for most in the NFL with Xavier McKinney of the Packers. It was also the Lions' first pick six recorded vs. Green Bay since 2000.
What's next
The Lions will be on the road again next week, as they have a date with the 6-3 Texans in Houston. As for the Packers, they will enjoy their bye week.
