Live Updates: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions

Two record-setting quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford, will battle at Ford Field on Sunday. Follow along all day for updates.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Dec 13, 2020 7:44 PM EST
Original:
Dec 13, 2020

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers (9-3) will battle the Detroit Lions (5-7) in an NFC North clash at Ford Field. The Packers lead the series 101-72-7. Follow along here all day for updates.

Final Score

Packers 31, Lions 24

Having survived an onside kick, Aaron Rodgers' third-down connection with Robert Tonyan clinched the victory and the NFC North title.

Here's the story from Detroit.

Fourth Quarter

Packers 31, Lions 24 (1:49 remaining)

Matt Prater’s 32-yard field goal made it a one-score game. Jamal Agnew’s kickoff return put the Lions in instant scoring position for backup quarterback Chase Daniel. On third-and-goal from the 4, Za’Darius Smith drew a holding penalty on right tackle Matt Nelson to wipe out Daniel’s touchdown run. Now, it will be up to Green Bay's special teams to recover Prater's onside kick.

Packers 31, Lions 21 (3:30 remaining)

Ford Field, once a house of horrors for Mason Crosby, booted a 57-yard field goal to make it a 10-point game. A 29-yard catch-and-run by Davante Adams got the Packers into scoring position. It was the longest kick of the season for Crosby, who missed five kicks in a 31-23 loss at Detroit in 2018. He has not missed a field-goal attempt all season.

However, Jamal Agnew returned the ensuing kickoff 71 yards to the 33-yard line - the latest black eye on Green Bay's special teams. With Matthew Stafford injured, it will be up to Chase Daniel to win the game for Detroit.

Packers 28, Lions 21 (6:30 remaining)

Kerryon Johnson scored from the 2 to make it a ballgame. Matthew Stafford’s third-and-10 completion to Marvin Jones against tight coverage by Kevin King was a big play. Three defensive penalties – including a hold on Adrian Amos after rookie safety Vernon Scott’s big hit on tight end T.J. Hockenson momentarily provided a critical third-down stop – didn’t help matters.

Packers 28, Lions 14 (12:01 remaining)

The Packers have methodically taken control of the game. Aaron Rodgers’ third touchdown pass of the day, a 4-yarder to Robert Tonyan, made it a two-touchdown game. Tonyan had the big play of the drive, an 11-yard grab on third-and-3. Green Bay has run 26 plays in the second half compared to three for Detroit. While Rodgers has thrown the ball all over the yard, Green Bay ran it eight times on the drive.

Third Quarter

Packers 21, Lions 14 (4:50 remaining)

After the Packers took the lead by converting one third down after another, Green Bay got a three-and-out stop on Jaire Alexander’s third-down pass breakup. The stop was set up by Adrian Amos picking up a tackle for loss on a completion to tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Packers 21, Lions 14 (6:11 remaining)

What a drive by the Packers coming out of halftime. They converted four times on third down, including the touchdown. On third-and-goal from the 6, Aaron Rodgers scrambled left for his 30th career rushing touchdown. The Packers overcame two offensive holding penalties that created a pair of first-and-20s. On the first, completions of 14 yards to receivers Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling moved the chains. On the second, Valdes-Scantling found a hole to convert a third-and-14. Later, on third-and-4, Lazard made an excellent catch on a pass that was thrown behind him for a gain of 5 to set up a first-and-goal from the 10.

Halftime

For as impressive as Green Bay’s offense looked to start the game and as strong as its defense looked during the middle portion of the half, it’s a 14-14 stalemate at intermission. Both quarterbacks are rolling. Aaron Rodgers is 12-of-15 for 149 yards with two touchdowns and a 147.6 rating. Detroit’s Matthew Stafford is 17-of-22 for 203 yards with one touchdown and a 120.1 rating. The Lions have riddled the middle of Green Bay’s defense.

The Eagles are shocking the Saints 17-0 at halftime. If the Packers can stomp on the gas in the second half and the Eagles can hang on, Green Bay and New Orleans would be 10-3 atop the NFC race. The Packers’ Week 3 victory, obviously, would put them in charge of the No. 1 seed.

Second Quarter

Packers 14, Lions 14 (1:27 remaining)

D’Andre Swift plowed through a couple defenders near the goal line for the game-tying touchdown. Back-to-back screens of 23 yards to Adrian Peterson – a missed tackle by Kevin King gave up about half that distance – and 10 yards to Kerryon Johnson got the Lions into scoring position. The Packers forced a first-and-20 when Za’Darius Smith drew a hold but Chandon Sullivan was flagged for defensive holding on the next play to give up a first down.

Packers 14, Lions 7 (5:41 remaining)

It took about 24 minutes before Aaron Rodgers threw an incomplete pass. On third-and-10, his pass to Allen Lazard was broken up by Darryl Roberts. He’s 10-of-11 for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

Moving back to the start of the game and Davante Adams’ touchdown. He’s caught a touchdown pass in eight consecutive games. That’s tied for the ninth-longest streak in NFL history and longest in franchise history. Jerry Rice scored in 13 consecutive games spanning the 1986 and 1987 seasons.

Packers 14, Lions 7 (14:11 remaining)

For the second time, Aaron Rodgers struck on a back-shoulder pass against Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye. This time, on second-and-9 from the 14, Marquez Valdes-Scantling flashed strong hands for the touchdown. Rodgers is 8-of-8 for 119 yards, two touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 passer rating.

The Packers have destroyed the opposition in the second quarter. As noted before the game: They’ve scored 164 points in the second quarter, already their most in franchise history. The NFL record is 199 points, set by the Patriots in 2007. If the Packers average 9.0 points in their final second quarters of the season, they’ll be the first team to ever score 200 points in that quarter.

First Quarter

Packers 7, Lions 7 (End of Quarter)

The Packers are on the move at the end of the quarter, having reached Detroit’s 15 on a 12-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams. Rodgers is 7-of-7 passing for 105 yards. Two of those passes have gone to Tavon Austin, who has assumed Tyler Ervin’s role on the offense.

Packers 7, Lions 7 (8:00 remaining)

Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams did it again. Rodgers fired a back-shoulder pass to Adams, who made the catch inside of Amani Oruwariye at the Lions’ 43, cut inside of safety Duron Harmon and coasted the rest of the way for a 54-yard touchdown. It’s Adams’ 14th touchdown and eighth consecutive game with a touchdown.

Adams entered the game on a seven-game streak with six-plus receptions and one-plus touchdown. That’s tied with Terrell Owens (Dallas, 2017) for the longest in NFL history.

Lions 7, Packers 0 (9:24 remaining)

The Lions motored right down the field for the opening touchdown. On second down from the 1, Matthew Stafford flipped the ball to tight end T.J. Hockenson for the score. The drive was far too easy. The Lions faced only two third-down plays. On the first, a third-and-9, Stafford could have enjoyed a snack against Green Bay’s four-man rush before finding Mohamed Sanu for a gain of 21.The other was a third-and-2, with Stafford connecting with Marvin Jones for a gain of 8.

Inactives

The Packers will have starting safety Darnell Savage. The Lions will not have three starters, including their right tackle. That means the presumptive starter will be a former defensive lineman.

How to Watch

Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m. on Fox, with Adam Amin and Mark Schlereth on the call. CLICK HERE for the coverage map.

Last Word: Star Quarterbacks

In his 12th season as the Detroit Lions’ quarterback, Matthew Stafford has 44,303 passing yards. Barring an injury, he will record his eighth season of 4,000 yards. Last year, he became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 40,000 yards, doing it in 147 games.

In his 13th season as the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers has 50,341 passing yards. Barring an injury, he will record his ninth season of 4,000 yards. Last week, he became the fastest to 400 career passing touchdowns, reaching the milestone in 193 games.

So, these are two of the most prolific quarterbacks in NFL history. There’s one major difference, however, between the quarterbacks who will take center stage on Sunday. As a starter, Rodgers is 122-63-1. He is closing in on his 10th playoff appearance. Stafford is 74-86-1 as a starter. He’s led the Lions to only three playoff berths and likely will fall short again. He’s still seeking his first playoff win.

From one perspective, quarterback wins isn’t a real statistic. He’s merely one of 11 players on the field, and he has no control over the defense, special teams and personnel moves. Then again, quarterbacks are paid big bucks because they are expected to be the rising tide that lifts all boats. Certainly, that’s what Rodgers is doing this year on an offense deemed short of weapons.

With star receiver Kenny Golladay set to miss a seventh game this season and a horror show of a defense that has been bloodied by an onslaught of injuries, the deck was stacked against Stafford. He hasn’t been that rising tide, though perhaps nobody could given the circumstances.

“I think he’s an elite player,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said this week. “Certainly a natural thrower, can make any throw, changes his arm angles, is tough, will stand in there. I think we’ve talked about just that quarterback position and many times you get probably too much credit when you win and things are going well and you get too much of the blame when things aren’t going well. That’s just part of being a quarterback. But I think he’s an elite-level player.”

Betting Perspective

The Packers are 8.5-point favorites at FanDuel. They’ve collected 86 percent of the money against the spread, making them one of the most lopsided bets this week. Green Bay is 8-4 against the spread. For more on this week’s games, click here.

Injury Update

Stafford will get a lift with the return of rookie running back D’Andre Swift, who missed the last three games with a head injury. In his last game, a 30-27 victory over Washington, Swift rushed 16 times for 81 yards and caught five passes for 68 yards. That’s 149 total yards. In Week 2 at Green Bay, he rushed for only 12 yards but caught all five targets for 60 yards.

Swift was questionable on Friday’s injury report.

Playoff Update

The Packers could clinch the NFC North with a victory over Detroit and a Minnesota Vikings loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Prediction

The Packers lead the NFL in scoring. The Lions are next-to-last in scoring defense. Making matters worse, defensive end Trey Flowers, defensive tackle Danny Shelton and cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Jeff Okudah are out with injuries. Without fans in the stands, not even Ford Field can save the Lions.

Packers 41, Lions 20. (Bill’s record: 10-2.)

Extra Points

- The Packers have scored 379 points. That’s more than in 2019 and 2018 (376 apiece). They’ve scored 164 points in the second quarter, already their most in franchise history. The NFL record is 199 points, set by the Patriots in 2007. If the Packers average 9.0 points in their final second quarters of the season, they’ll be the first team to ever score 200 points in that quarter.

- Green Bay is No. 1 with 31.7 points per road game. Detroit is No. 31 with 34.2 points allowed per home game.

- Rodgers is 16-5 against Detroit with 43 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions with a 104.8 passer rating.