Thanksgiving brought a good football game to Ford Field, but the outcome didn’t make the Lions fans happy in Detroit. The Green Bay Packers held on for a 31-24 victory over the host Lions in the annual Thanksgiving matinee game from Detroit.
The game was close throughout, though Detroit never led in the contest. The Lions kept it close despite missing center Graham Glasgow and losing All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown with an ankle injury on the second series.
Here’s everything we know in the immediate aftermath of Detroit’s disappointing Thanksgiving loss to the Packers.
It was over when…
The Lions went for it on 4th-and-3 from the Green Bay 21-yard line with 10:50 to play in the fourth quarter, down 31-21. Jared Goff worked a designed rollout to his right and delivered a fastball to Jameson Williams that hit his hip as it hit his hands. The ball fell to the ground. Tough to say if it was a straight drop, a lack of touch from Goff or some wicked combination of each. Instead of a field goal to cut it back to a one-possession game, the Packers got some extra breathing room.
Green Bay had no such problem on a subsequent fourth down of its own. Jordan Love connected with Dontayvion Wicks over the middle despite heavy coverage, converting the game-sealing first down that allowed Love and the Packers offense into victory formation.
Stat sheets
Pretty even contest on the stat sheet:
Top Lions highlight
Isaac TeSlaa’s sliding touchdown catch was a beauty, but this week’s honor goes to Jameson Williams for making six points out of nothing:
3 Lions stars of the game
1st star – WR Jameson Williams. One of Jamo’s best NFL games:
2nd star – QB Jared Goff: 20-for-26, 234 yards and two TDs, also a 24-yard run
3rd star – WR Tom Kennedy: 4 catches on 4 targets for 36 yards. Also added over 100 return yards on four total attempts.
Key points
–Lions star WR Amon-Ra St. Brown left with an ankle injury on Detroit’s second drive and did not return. After the game, Dan Campbell indicated it was not a long-term injury but was unsure of St. Brown’s availability for Week 14.
–With the 0-2 performance on Thursday, the Lions have now failed on their last seven fourth-down conversion attempts.
–Trystan Colon got the start at center for an injured Graham Glasgow. On the Lions very first play, Colon inadvertently tripped Goff by stepping on his foot as the QB pulled back from under center.
–Goff had Detroit’s longest run play, a 24-yard scamper that represents the second-longest rush of his career. The longest was a 26-yarder, also against the Packers back in 2021 in Goff’s second career game as a Lion.
–Detroit managed just 2 QB hits on Jordan Love, one each from Tyleik Williams and Alim McNeill. Green Bay hit Goff seven times, with Micah Parsons accounting for four of those among his 2.5 sacks.
–The Lions gained 10 yards on 8 plays in the first quarter
–Detroit’s defense failed to record a takeaway for the third time in four games
–Green Bay scored two TDs in the red zone on simple bunch set passes that crossed up the Lions’ man coverage. It’s been a recurring issue for Detroit’s red zone D all season.
–Brian Branch led the Lions with 10 tackles and also added two PDs, though he was beaten on Christian Watson’s long touchdown reception over the top.
–Referee Ron Torbert, in his postgame pool interview with Colton Pouncey of The Athletic, dismissed any notion that the Packers did not call a controversial timeout prior to a false start penalty.
–The Lions wound up winning the time of possession battle despite being more than five minutes behind in TOP at halftime
–Packers DL Devonte Wyatt left the game with a lower leg injury in the fourth quarter that is not a replay to watch for the squeamish.
What’s next for the Lions
The Lions host the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night in Week 14. The Cowboys play later on Thanksgiving.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions vs Packers: Everything we know from Detroit’s Thanksgiving loss
Reporting by Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
