Packers continue to be hampered by slow starts against divisional opponents

 

[December 07, 2024]  By STEVE MEGARGEE

Green Bay’s season-long struggles against NFC North opponents have made the Packers ’ remote chance of winning a division title increasingly unlikely.

The Packers (9-4) dropped to 1-3 in divisional games Thursday night when they fell 34-31 at Detroit. Their only divisional win was a 20-19 triumph at Chicago on Nov. 17, and they needed Karl Brooks to block a 46-yard field-goal attempt as time expired to eke out that victory.

Green Bay is three games behind Detroit (12-1) and 1 ½ games behind the Minnesota Vikings (10-2) in the NFC North. The Lions also have a tiebreaker advantage over the Packers after sweeping their two regular-season meetings.

The Packers remain in good shape to earn a wild-card playoff berth because of their sparkling 8-1 record against non-NFC North opponents.

“The main thing is getting into the dance for sure,” center Josh Myers said. “Would we like to be higher up? Absolutely. But we’ll live with where we’re at and we’ll make the most of it.”

Assuming the Packers make the playoffs, their path to their first Super Bowl appearance since their 2010 championship series could involve going on the road and beating the Lions or Vikings in the postseason. The Packers lost 31-29 to the Vikings at home on Sept. 29 and face them in Minnesota on Dec. 29.

The Packers rallied from a 17-7 halftime deficit and briefly took the lead Thursday. Jake Bates’ tiebreaking 35-yard field goal on the final play provided Detroit’s winning margin.

“Ultimately, I thought we just started, especially on the offensive side of the ball, too slow,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said.

Green Bay continually has fallen behind early against NFC North opponents, something that hasn’t happened in the Packers’ other games.

The Packers have trailed at halftime in each of their four NFC North contests and have been outscored by a combined 72-24 in the first half of those games. In their other nine games, the Packers have outscored opponents by a combined 151-86 before halftime.

Green Bay now has lost six of its last seven matchups with the Lions, the lone victory being a 29-22 Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit last season. The Packers remain confident they can succeed if they return to Detroit in the playoffs.

“I think we could beat them,” linebacker Isaiah McDuffie said. “And I think at the end of the day, I hope we see them again and I hope we prove ourselves and we do beat them.”

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) is tackled by Green Bay Packers safety Javon Bullard (20) during the first half of an NFL football game in Detroit, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

What’s working
The offense did a nice job of bouncing back after a slow start. The Packers scored three touchdowns and one field goal on their five second-half possessions. … Brandon McManus’ tying 32-yard field goal with 3:38 left underscored how much his mid-October arrival has settled a placekicking situation that had caused plenty of headaches since the start of the 2023 season. McManus is 7 of 8 on field goals and 14 of 14 on extra-point attempts.

What needs work
The offense didn’t do enough early. The Packers had two punts and a fumble on their first three series. … The defense struggled to contain Detroit’s screen passes all night. … The Lions continually got aggressive by going for it in fourth-down situations, and the Packers couldn’t stop them. The Lions were 7 of 15 on third down and 4 of 5 on fourth down.

Stock up
RB Josh Jacobs had his second three-touchdown performance in his last three games. He has scored eight touchdowns over his last four games. … TE Tucker Kraft had his team-leading seventh touchdown catch of the season. … S Zayne Anderson, who had played just eight defensive snaps all season before Thursday, stepped in for an injured Javon Bullard and was on the field for nearly two-thirds of the Packers’ defensive plays. He made a third-and-1 stop of David Montgomery on the game’s final series before the Lions converted on fourth-and-inches. … DL Kenny Clark had a season-high eight tackles while helping limit the Lions to 3.3 yards per carry.

Stock down
One week after scoring two touchdowns in a 30-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins, WR Jayden Reed didn’t catch a pass and was only targeted once.

Injuries
Bullard (ankle), S Evan Williams (concussion) and DE Lukas Van Ness (thumb) got hurt during the game. CB Jaire Alexander (knee) and LB Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) were both out for a third straight game. WR Romeo Doubs (concussion) and CB Corey Ballentine (knee) also didn’t play.

Key numbers
5 – This loss snapped the Packers’ five-game NFC North road winning streak. They won at Chicago this year, swept their three NFC North road games last season and won at Chicago in December 2022.

Next steps
The Packers visit the Seattle Seahawks in a Sunday night game on Dec. 15.

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