LaFleur raises record to 8-0 vs. NFC North
GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers finally took a lead against the Detroit Lions with 14 seconds to go in the first half Sunday and then never looked back, winning 42-21 Sunday to improve to 2-0 on the season. The Lions fell to 0-2.
Owczarski’s observation
Since 2017, the Lions have been more than a pain in the neck for the Packers. The Packers lost four straight to them from 2017-18 and while last year they went 2-0 against them, they never led for a single second — a feat head coach Matt LaFleur called miraculous.
Sunday looked like more of the same for the first half, until the Packers scored 31 unanswered points to take a 34-14 lead into the fourth quarter and looked to have fully reasserted dominance over the longtime NFC North doormat.
Since taking over last year, LaFleur is 8-0 against the division. Lions coach Matt Patricia’s seat is getting warmer as his team is 0-2 on the season and 9-25-1 overall under his direction.
The Packers won a lot of close games last year but rarely just stepped on teams. They scored 30 or more points just four times (and reached 40 points once) and had three wins of 10 points or more. This is the second week in a row they just steamrolled a division opponent with more than 40 points — and if not for some defensive lapses late against Minnesota, the margin of victories would be greater.
No doubt that good teams know how to win close games — but dominant teams do that along with routing inferior opponents. The 2020 Packers are already doing that within the NFC North.
5 things to watch revisited
Quiet on the set: This was the second go ’round for the Packers playing in an empty stadium and the team got a better handle on what the pumped-in crowd noise would sound like during Friday’s practice inside Lambeau Field. The emphasis for the team has been “bring your own juice” and it sounded as if the team managed to do that again for the second straight week. After falling behind 14-3 early, the team was able to find some energy and eventually take a 17-14 lead. Aaron Jones then got the team hyped with a second-half-opening, 75-yard touchdown run.
Peterson at Lambeau Field: The Packers just can’t seem to get rid of Adrian Peterson. He’s on his third team, but Sunday marked the 11th time he ran over the turf and the green and gold. He came in having averaged 4.86 yards per carry at Lambeau — and had a streak of eight straight regular-season games with a touchdown. Peterson was very effective Sunday (5.8 yards per carry) but was not a feature back, however, as the Lions distributed carries to Kerryon Johnson and DeAndre Swift.
The polished Davante Adams: Patricia recalled Adams’ breakout game in 2014 when he caught six balls for 121 yards against Patricia’s New England defense, and Adams has only gotten better. Sunday, it took a quarter for Adams to even get a target but he routinely schooled the Lions’ corners with precise releases off the line of scrimmage. Adams injured a hamstring in the second half and finished with three catches for 36 yards.
Playing with an edge: The Vikings had to give up on the run fairly early, but when they did attack the Packers they were able to get outside and break contain. Peterson helped set up a Lions score by doing just that, getting outside for a 25-yard run. Generally speaking however, the Lions attacked the middle of the Packers’ defense.
Life without Kenny Clark: The Packers played the second half last week without their star defensive lineman and Sunday they had to rely on Tyler Lancaster, Kingsley Keke and practice squad call-up Willington Previlon to make up for Clark’s absence. Lancaster, Keke and Montravius Adams got the bulk of the work, however, and the Lions weren’t shy about running it between the tackles to gain yardage.
Game ball
Aaron Jones, RB
The free agent-to-be picked up his ninth career 100-yard rushing game, totaling a career-high 168 yards on the ground thanks to a 75-yard scoring run to open the third quarter. He also caught four passes for 68 yards, including a leaping 30-yard grab over Lions corner Darryl Roberts. He then threw in a stout blitz pickup on a 41-yard deep ball from Aaron Rodgers to Marquez ValdesScantling, which set up a 14-yard touchdown run by Jones four plays later.
The last time the Packers returned an interception for a score. Chandon Sullivan took back a Matthew Stafford pass 7 yards for a third-quarter touchdown.
Next Gen stat of the day
20.66
Miles per hour Jones reached on his 75-yard touchdown run.
Did you notice?
Elgton Jenkins returned to his natural position of left guard for the start of this game and the second-year player out of Mississippi State was physically dominant at the point of attack. Jones and Jamaal Williams found creases behind him all game long, including Jones’ touchdown run and several first-down runs by Williams.
It’s also worth noting the pressure of Rashan Gary on Stafford that allowed Chandon Sullivan to intercept him and return it for a touchdown. It is the second straight week Gary has affected the QB and helped cause a turnover.
Play of the game
Perhaps Jones would have opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown anyway, but what would the feeling have been at halftime had Matt Prater’s 57-yard field goal sailed through the uprights to tie the game as time expired in the first half ? The Lions marched from their 25 to the Packers’ 39 in 11 seconds to set up Prater’s attempt. He had more than enough leg, but just missed it wide. So instead of losing that lead and momentum, the Packers went into the break with a lead and then blew the doors off the Lions in the second half, beginning with Jones’ touchdown.