Stafford shines as Detroit rolls
LIONS 30, PACKERS 17 Green Bay loses third consecutive game after Rodgers’ injury
WIS.» Matthew Stafford GREEN BAY, passed for 361 yards and two touchdowns to Marvin Jones, and the Detroit Lions snapped a three-game losing streak with a 30-17 win on Monday night over the offensively challenged Green Bay Packers.
Stafford was 26-of-33, including 12-of-14 in the first half with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jones. That strike to Jones was the 200th touchdown pass in 117 career games for Stafford.
Ameer Abdullah added a 4-yard touchdown run for Detroit (4-4).
Green Bay (4-4) finally got in the end zone on Brett Hundley’s 1-yard quarterback sneak with 9:52 left.
The Lions answered with Stafford’s 11yard touchdown pass to Jones with 8:06 remaining, putting the game out of reach with a 17-point lead. Jones had seven catches for 107 yards.
The Packers have lost three straight games. Their once-potent offense has struggled since star quarterback Aaron Rodgers broke his right collarbone Oct. 15 at Minnesota.
Brett Hundley finished 26-of-38 for 245 yards. Cornerback Darius Slay blanketed Jordy Nelson when the Packers did try to throw long while the game was still competitive.
Abdullah lost a fumble in the third quar- ter, but the Packers went three-and-out on the ensuing drive. Familiar problems in the red zone popped up for the Lions when they were stopped on three plays at the Packers 1, forced to settle for a field goal for a 17-point lead with 12:25 left.
But without Rodgers, the Packers couldn’t keep up with the accurate, rocket-armed Stafford.
The Lions’ opening score was set up by an unnecessary roughness penalty on Mike Daniels, after the defensive lineman appeared to head-butt Detroit center Travis Swanson. The flag negated an incompletion on third-and-15 that would have forced the Lions to punt from their own 25. Stafford connected with Jones for the touchdown pass five plays later.