Live Updates: Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will look to rebound from their Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints when they host the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football. Follow along all night for updates.
Final Score
Packers 35, Lions 17
Here's our game story, including key play, MVP and more.
Fourth Quarter
Packers 35, Lions 17 (3:34 remaining)
The Packers put this game on ice. With Jonathan Garvin applying the pressure, Jared Goff’s flutterball was intercepted by linebacker De’Vondre Campbell.
Packers 35, Lions 17 (12:42 remaining)
Set up at the Lions’ 23 after a turnover, Aaron Jones powered into the end zone with a 1-yard touchdown – his fourth of the game. Suddenly, after trailing for much of the first half, Green Bay is running away with 21 unanswered points.
Third Quarter
Packers 28, Lions 17 (4 seconds remaining)
On the first snap after the kickoff, Jared Goff fumbled the snap, Krys Barnes recovered and the Packers are back in business.
Packers 28, Lions 17 (7 seconds remaining)
Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones struck again, connecting on their third touchdown pass of the night to give the Packers some breathing room. Rodgers is rolling – and so, finally, are the Packers. The offense got a spark off the bench from Randall Cobb, who coverted a third-and-14 with a 14-yard gain when Rodgers caught the Lions with 12 men on the field. Later, on third-and-7, Rodgers tried to catch the Lions with 12 again but failed but found Cobb for 9. One play later, Davante Adams made a leaping catch for 22. On the score, Rodgers got Jones on the move and he turned on the jets for the 11-yard touchdown.
Jones is the first Packers running back with three touchdown catches in a game since Andy Uram did it against the Chicago Cardinals in 1942. Uram’s touchdowns covered 64, 36 and 62 yards. Cecil Isbell was the quarterback.
Packers 21, Lions 17 (5:53 remaining)
On fourth-and-1 from the Packers’ 25, Lions coach Dan Campbell kept the offense on the field. Quarterback Jared Goff, who has picked apart Green Bay’s defense all night, threw left to Quintez Cephus but the play was denied by rookie cornerback Eric Stokes. Could this be the turning point the Packers need to seize control?
Packers 21, Lions 17 (10:26 remaining)
For the first time this season, the Packers are leading. Aaron Rodgers connected with Robert Tonyan for a 22-yard touchdown on third-and-6. Tonyan wasn’t open. Allen Lazard was open for an easy first down but Rodgers took the higher-difficulty, higher-reward throw, fitting it to Tonyan against linebacker Alex Anzalone and safety Tracy Walker. It was an 87-yard drive kick-started by Rodgers’ jaw-dropping 50-yard bomb to Davante Adams to convert a third-and-12.
Halftime
Lions 17, Packers 14
In 12 possessions, not including the take-a-knee to end last week's game, Green Bay's defense has allowed seven touchdowns and two field goals. A week after Saints quarterback Jameis Winston had four touchdowns and six incompletions, Lions quarterback Jared Goff has two touchdowns and three incompletions.
Second Quarter
Lions 17, Packers 14 (3 seconds remaining)
On his second try, Austin Seibert made a 43-yard field goal to end the half. On the first drive, the snap was low and Seibert missed wide right but Packers coach Matt LaFleur had called timeout. Set up by a kickoff return to the 41, two runs by D’Andre Swift got the ball past midfield and Jared Goff – with a month of Sundays in the pocket – connected with tight end T.J. Hockenson for a gain of 20. The defense stiffened in the nick of time, though, with strong coverage plays by Jaire Alexander on second down and Kevin King on third down to force the field goal.
Packers 14, Lions 14 (1:52 remaining)
Good things happen when Aaron Jones gets the ball. He touched the ball seven times on the opening drive and six times on this drive, capping both drives with touchdown receptions. Jones had runs of 8 and 6 yards, a catch for 9, a run for 5 and a swing pass for 13 to the 1. On that play, he motioned to the left and caught a pass 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage just as Rodgers got drilled. An excellent block by Marquez Valdes-Scantling got Jones in the clear and all the way inside the 1 at the 2-minute warning. On second-and-goal, Rodgers won a race against outside linebacker Romeo Okwara and caught a pass for the score.
Lions 14, Packers 7 (7:22 remaining)
The Lions recaptured the lead against Joe Barry’s beleaguered defense on Jared Goff’s 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson, a beautiful throw that beat linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. It was the second blemish on the drive for Campbell, who was flagged for a 15-yard facemask on his tackle of a diving Goff. Detroit never faced a third down on the 61-yard scoring drive. Goff is having an easy time against Barry's unit.
Packers 7, Lions 7 (14:01 remaining)
The Lions were on the move, reaching midfield when Jamaal Williams thundered ahead to convert a third-and-1. Then, the Lions shifted into reverse and stomped on the gas. A false start and a holding made it first-and-25. Finally, on third-and-9, Preston Smith blew through the Lions’ line and forced intentional grounding for a loss of 14.
First Quarter
Packers 7, Lions 7 (3:45 remaining)
It took 71 minutes and 15 seconds but the Packers found the end zone. Aaron Jones rushed six times on the drive before getting into the end zone on a 4-yard reception. Jones gained 7 on an initial third-and-1, Davante Adams had an 18-yard catch-and-run and Robert Tonyan gained 19 on a screen. On the score, Jones motioned to the left, caught a 2-inch pass and beat the defenders around the corner.
Lions 7, Packers 0 (10:36 remaining)
Looking to bounce back after an embarrassing opening loss, the Packers’ defense got off to an embarrassing start. After Jamaal Williams was stuffed for a gain of 1 on the first play, Jared Goff hit Kalif Raymond for an easy gain of 8 to make it third-and-1. Green Bay loaded the box and Goff dropped back to pass. He had all day before firing deep to Quintez Cephus over embattled cornerback Kevin King for a gain of 46. A few plays later, on third-and-4, Goff again had all day before spotting Cephus all alone in the end zone for a touchdown. Rookie cornerback Eric Stokes was the only player within shouting distance. So, Green Bay's two choices to play cornerback opposite Jaire Alexander, King and Stokes, were burned on the opening drive.
Lineup Change?
Based on warmups, it appears Jon Runyan will get the start at left guard in place of veteran Lucas Patrick. Patrick suffered a concussion at the end of last week’s game against New Orleans. He didn’t practice on Thursday and Friday, returned on Saturday and was listed as questionable. Patrick is active.
As for Runyan, he saw significant action in four games as a rookie sixth-round pick – including a combined 131 snaps in Game 8 at San Francisco, Game 10 at Indianapolis and Game 11 vs. Chicago – and flashed enough quality play in those games to perhaps challenge for a starting job in 2021. However, Patrick beat him out for the job at left guard.
That means the interior three for Green Bay will be, well, green. Rookie center Josh Myers (one), rookie right guard Royce Newman (one) and Runyan (zero) have two combined starts.
Aaron Rodgers Chasing History
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers needs 98 passing yards to move into the top 10 all-time in passing yards. Rodgers enters the night with 51,378 career passing yards; Hall of Famer John Elway is 10th with 51,475 yards.
In NFL history, Rodgers is third with a 103.6 passer rating, seventh with 412 touchdown passes and 10th with 4,300 completions.
Rodgers has been the boss after a loss under coach Matt LaFleur, with four touchdowns and zero interceptions in each of the last four games. Why has he been so dominant?
“I’d say percentages,” Rodgers said. “I’ve been pretty damn good for a while, so you have a shitty game like that, you usually bounce back to average things out.”
In winning after each of LaFleur’s six regular-season losses, turnovers have been the underlying reason.
Packers-Lions Inactives
Left guard Lucas Patrick (concussion) and safety Darnell Savage (shoulder), who were questionable, are active for the game. So is receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who was elevated from the practice squad before the game.
For Green Bay, tight end Josiah Deguara (concussion), safety Vernon Scott (hamstring), linebacker La’Darius Hamilton, center Jake Hanson, defensive tackle Jack Heflin and cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles are inactive.
The Packers grabbed Hamilton off the practice squad of the Buccaneers this week.
Detroit’s inactives are receiver Tyrell Williams, defensive end Kevin Strong, running back Jermar Jefferson, outside linebacker Austin Bryant and cornerback Corey Ballentine. Williams, the Lions’ projected No. 1 receiver, suffered a concussion last week.
Lions at Packers: How to Watch
TV: ESPN (Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick and field reporter Lisa Salters).
Stream: Available on Fubotv: Get 7-day Free Trial
Radio: Packers Radio Network. SIRIUS: 81 (Det.), 83 (GB) | XM: 226 (Det.), 225 (GB) | SXM App: 810 (Det.), 811 (GB).
The Packers are 35-32-1 on Monday night, including a lofty 7-1 in their last eight games and winners of four straight overall and seven straight with Rodgers. During the Rodgers streak, he has completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 2,224 yards with 18 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 111.9 rating.
This is the 29th consecutive season in which Green Bay is appearing on MNF, tied for the longest streak in the NFL (Denver, 1992-2020).
Fans at Lambeau Field
After a year of mostly empty bleachers due to COVID-19, the Packers welcomed their 351st consecutive sellout.
"I’m thrilled to have a packed house back at Lambeau," running back Aaron Jones said on Saturday. "Our fans, they bring the energy, they do a lot for us. Just to be able to have that boost and run out to a packed 80,000 is going to be special."
LaFleur was looking forward to a loud crowd, too – but only at the right time. There will be messages on the scoreboard to remind fans when is the right time to be loud and the right time to be quiet.
"I think our guys will feel that energy," he said. "We will feel that enthusiasm and so I’d ask our fans to be extremely loud – when we’re on defense"
