Detroit — The script felt familiar. The Detroit Lions played well enough to win, but when they needed to make one more play, amidst some chaos, they’d predictably crumble.
But this time they didn’t.
After the Lions offense failed to convert a fourth down that should have ended things, and the defense surrendered a bomb into the red zone on a fourth-and-one play, while failing to recover a fumble cornerback Jeff Okudah ripped free, who could blame you for feeling like you knew how this one would end?
But Detroit’s defense, which came out of nowhere to make big play after big play all afternoon, delivered one more stop, sealing the 15-9 victory over the division rival Green Bay Packers at Ford Field, snapping a five-game losing streak.
BOX SCORE: Lions 15, Packers 9
“We just haven’t made the last play when we needed to and we made the last play today,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We just made one more play.”
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ final pass, intended for Sammy Watkins in the end zone, sailed over the receiver’s head, giving the Lions (2-6) the much-needed victory.
Leading to that moment, Rodgers converted a fourth-and-one with a deep pass to receiver Samori Toure. Okudah ripped the ball free and a scramble to recover the fumble ensued with Okudah finally getting his hands on it as he tumbled out of bounds, unable to secure possession. That gave the Packers four cracks at the end zone from Detroit’s 17-yard line in the final minute of the contest. But the quarterback didn’t complete another pass as the Lions’ defense came through with its best outing of the season.
“I’m proud of them,” Campbell said. “I just gave the game ball to (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG. It’s a hell of a job, man. He coaches his heart out and he put everything into it, as he always does, and those guys responded.”
The final stop was a continuation of a game-filled with big defensive plays. The first half offered little in terms of scoring, thanks to both sides coming up with crucial stops.
The Lions took the opening kickoff and quickly marched in Packers territory with running back tandem Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift accounting for 42 yards from scrimmage. But facing fourth-and-1 at the 7-yard line, the Lions opted to empty the backfield and try to throw for the first down.
Green Bay (3-6) countered with a blitz, overwhelming Detroit’s blocking. Former Michigan standout Rashan Gary came through unblocked, hitting quarterback Jared Goff and causing an incompletion by altering the throw to Tom Kennedy, who was open in the end zone.
The Packers responded going on a long drive, converting a trio of third downs along the way, with the third setting them up first-and-goal at the 5. But Rodgers’ play-action pass hit linebacker Derrick Barnes in the head, deflecting the ball high into the air where it was intercepted by rookie safety Kerby Joseph.
The Lions stalled quickly after the turnover, giving the ball back to the Packers across midfield following a subpar punt. And Rodgers converted another third down with a deep ball to receiver Allen Lazard, who outmuscled cornerback Jeff Okudah, maintained his footing and was able to get all the way down to the 1-yard line.
But despite the unfavorable situation, the Lions defense held. Barnes came up with a pair of goal-line run stops, setting up fourth-and-one. The Packers tried a trick play, with Rodgers throwing a pass for offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, but rookie defensive end Aidan Hutchinson made a good read and jumped the pass, corralling an interception in the end zone to end the threat.
Hutchinson admitted some confusion during the play, but dropped back, despite that not being his job, because he thought the Packers were running a screen.
“(Rodgers) told me he gave me a freebie and I was like, ‘Freebie or not, I’ll take that interception,'” Hutchinson said. “It was cool man. It was a cool moment and that’s my first-ever pick in football really. And I got it against one of the best.”
Again, the Lions were forced to punt, but this time pinned the Packers at the 1-yard line. Still, Rodgers dug the visitors out of the hole with two more third-down conversions. A Barnes’ sack slowed the drive, leaving the Packers facing fourth-and-four, which they opted to attempt after a timeout.
The Packers appeared to keep things alive when Rodgers connected with Lazard on a 26-yard throw out of the slot, but the Lions challenged the call on the field and it was reversed after it was determined the ball was moving as it hit the ground, giving possession back to the Lions.
Kickstarting the series with a short throw to Kennedy, and boosted by an unnecessary roughness call against the Packers, Williams took the Lions into the red zone with four straight runs before Swift caught a third-down pass that set the Lions up first-and-goal from the 1.
Two plays later, Detroit was into the end zone with Goff connecting with Shane Zylstra for the tight end’s first career touchdown.
After the Packers ran into kicker Michael Badgley on a missed point-after attempt, Campbell opted to go for two with Williams punching it in to put the Lions up, 8-0, just before the half.
Defense continued to dominate coming out of the locker room.
The Lions opened the third quarter forcing a punt when Joseph broke up a deep pass for Toure on third down. But Detroit’s offense quickly gave it back when Goff was intercepted a couple plays into the ensuring series. The quarterback’s throw for Amon-Ra St. Brown was undercut by cornerback Jaire Alexander, who set a new career-high by intercepting his third pass of the season, returning the ball to the Lions 23-yard line.
But it was Joseph coming up with the response, similarly undercutting a Rodgers’ throw at the goal line for the safety’s second interception of the day. It marked just the fifth time in Rodgers’ career he has thrown three picks in a game and the first time since Week 15 of the 2017 season.
For Joseph it was his fourth forced turnover in the past three weeks after causing fumbles against both Dallas and Miami.
“Kerby’s a turnover machine so we love it,” Hutchinson said.
With another chance to extend the lead, the Lions’ offense remained stuck in a neutral, going three-and-out. And finally, the Packers were able to respond, going 49 yards in seven plays for a touchdown.
Picking up a drive-extending penalty by Detroit cornerback Will Harris, Rodgers found Lazard on the 20-yard scoring strike, beating the coverage of Okudah. But the Packers duo failed to connect a second time on a 2-point conversion attempt, leaving the Lions narrowly ahead, 8-6.
After beginning their response with three straight incompletions and a false start penalty, the Lions got some assistance via a defensive holding penalty against the Packers. That proved to be the elixir needed to get the offense on track. Handing the ball off to Williams six consecutive snaps, the power back churned out 29 yards before St. Brown provided some respite with a 25-yard catch into the red zone.
On third-on-goal from the 3, Goff again found an open tight end, this time rookie James Mitchell, putting the Lions up nine points seconds into the fourth quarter.
“We had two tight ends today have their first touchdown, and like seeing their faces after that,” Goff said. “It’s what makes it all worth it.”
We’re offering a great rate on digital subscriptions. Click here.
The Packers managed to counter with a field goal on a penalty-filled possession that included three pass interference infractions, including two against the offense. Rodgers was able to salvage the drive by scrambling for a conversion on third-and-17, juking past two Lions linebackers. But the quarterback’s third-down pass in the red zone was broken up by cornerback Jerry Jacobs, making up for an earlier interference penalty, limiting the Packers to just three points and leaving the Lions ahead, 15-9, with 6:39 remaining.
“I just knew he was going to keep coming my way,” Jacobs said. “I just knew it was third down, we had to get off the field and it was one-on-one, backside. I just knew it was coming on a slant or something. I just played it tight.”
Detroit was able to kill more than four minutes, driving across midfield, but faced a critical fourth-down decision as the the clock ticked down to the 2-minute warning. On fourth-and-three from the Packers 43, Goff fired a hurried throw at the feet of St. Brown, coughing up the possession with exaction 2:00 remaining.
“I felt like I liked where we were at and I thought we would convert that,” Campbell said. “But, if we did not, I had three timeouts in my pockets, and yeah, our defense was playing pretty good. So, I just felt like that was the way to go.”
Rodgers gave the Packers a shot with the long past to Toure, but the defense did come up with the final stop to give the Lions the win.
“I’ll be honest with you, I’m exhausted,” Campbell said. “I want to go home, put the feet up, drink a beer. So it feels real good. I’m just proud of them. I really am. I’m proud of our coaches, I’m proud of the players, I’m proud of everybody because everybody puts a lot of work into it. I know it’s only two (wins), but my gosh man. And there again, to see, end of the game, one stop, our defense comes through. I just think we need that, we needed that.”
The Lions will travel to Chicago to play the Bears next Sunday.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers