Lions Attacked Wounded Packers, Establish NFC North Supremacy

No ifs, ands or buts about it, the Lions went into Lambeau Field Thursday night, and dominated the Green Bay Packers.

As hard as it may be to believe it, it really happened, and it came on the heels of a dominant pass-rush effort from Aaron Glenn's defense.

The Lions "out-physicaled" and "out-muscled" Green Bay and its offensive line all night long, and finished with five sacks of Packers passer Jordan Love. Aidan Hutchinson led the ferocious, relentless effort of the defense, notching a game-high 1.5 sacks. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Hutchinson also posted career-high marks in both pressures (eight) and pressure rate (21.1%) in the Week 4 primetime tilt.

Aidan Hutchinson posted career-highs in pressures (8) and pressure rate (21.1%) along with 1.5 sacks tonight against the Packers.

Hutchinson has generated at least 5 QB pressures in six games since Week 14, 2022, including every game this season.#GBvsDET | #OnePride
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 29, 2023

It was such complete and utter domination from Hutchinson & Co. that Detroit held Green Bay to 20 net yards of offense in the first half and just three first downs – two of which came on Lions penalties.

As a whole, Detroit has produced a total of 12 sacks in its last two games. In stark contrast, Glenn's unit had recorded just one sack through the first two weeks of the season.

Hutchinson has spearheaded the major turnaround of the Lions' pass-rush department the past two weeks, which, in part, has helped Detroit rise to the top of the NFC North standings.

Along the way, the Lions have also proven their mettle as road warriors. They've beaten both the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and now the Packers on the road.

Thus far, no moment has proven to be too big for Dan Campbell's squad to handle.

“I just think it's something that that we talk about, we prepare for,” Campbell said of playing "under the bright lights" in difficult environments. “We always try to emphasize that, that, man, you should really live in the moment; you should embrace it, you should enjoy it. That shouldn't be a stressful situation.”

Dating back to last season, the Lions have won 11 of their last 14 games. And, with Thursday's victory, Campbell's team has now beaten Green Bay four consecutive times, and holds sole possession of first place in the NFC North for the first time since the 2017 season.

Hutchinson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has failed to lose to the Packers in his short NFL career, and it’s something that the Michigan native surely takes enormous pride in.

“It’s fun, man. I grew up with (former Green Bay quarterback) Aaron Rodgers kicking our ass every year. So, it’s good to be on the winning side of things,” Hutchinson told Amazon Prime reporter Kaylee Hartung after Detroit’s Week 4 win. “Aaron’s out of the division. So, life is good right now, but we’re going to keep working.”

There’s no question that Jared Goff and Detroit’s offense also deserve credit for the victory in Thursday’s NFC North divisional clash. Goff did throw an interception on the Lions’ first series of the game – and for the third straight contest. However, he and veteran running back David Montgomery, in his first game back since Week 2, did lead Ben Johnson’s offense on six scoring drives, including four touchdowns.

Johnson’s unit ended up outgaining the Packers in total yardage, 401-230. It also accumulated 10 more first downs (25-15), and controlled the time of possession by 15-plus minutes (37:58-22:02).

Montgomery was the star of the game offensively for Detroit. He finished with a game-high 121 rushing yards and three scores.

Meanwhile, Goff threw for 210 yards and a touchdown, on 19-of-28 passing.

“Yeah, it feels good,” Goff told the NFL Network, in reference to beating the Packers and gaining sole possession of first place in the NFC North. “It’s still early, but to come on the road, in a hostile environment against a good team that’s been good for a long time, man, it’s always tough getting these ‘W’s.’ We played well tonight.”

Thursday’s win marked Detroit’s third straight victory in a primetime contest. Goff, for one, has become more than comfortable playing in front of a nationally televised audience.

“Yeah, we like it,” Goff expressed about playing in primetime, as Lions fans at Lambeau Field loudly chanted Goff’s name. “Keep putting us in primetime if you want. We feel good.”

Undeniably, Detroit was the best team on the field Thursday and has been the best team in the NFC North through the first four weeks of the 2023 campaign.

Not only did the Lions handily dispose of the Packers in their first meeting of the season, but also the rest of the division is winless.

The Vikings’ division-winning campaign a season ago looks more and more like an aberration with each passing week. Meanwhile, the Bears look hapless with Justin Fields leading the way on offense, and the team’s defense couldn’t stop anyone right now if its life depended upon it.

As for the Lions, they have become the darlings of the division – and rightfully so.

They are undoubtedly the class of the NFC North currently, and deserve to be recognized and treated as such.

As long as the Lions continue to play as aggressively and physically as they did Thursday while continuing to execute on both sides of the football, they’ll remain the top dogs in the NFC North.