Thursday night brought out one of the best games of the NFL season in Week 14, with the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers playing a very competitive and entertaining matchup. In a game featuring several second-half lead changes, it came down to which team had the ball last.
That was the Lions, and Detroit improved to 12-1 with the thrilling 34-31 victory over the visiting Packers. Head coach Dan Campbell’s team won its 11th game in a row and snapped Green Bay’s three-game win streak. The Packers are now 9-4, with two of those losses coming at the hands of the Lions.
This one lived up to the billing of a de facto playoff game. Here’s everything we know in the immediate aftermath of Detroit’s thrilling Week 14 win over the Packers.
It was over when…
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 05: Jake Bates #39 of the Detroit Lions celebrates with Jared Goff #16 after making the game winning field goal to defeat the Green Bay Packers in the game at Ford Field on December 05, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Jake Bates drained a game-winning 35-yard field goal as the clock hit 0:00 in the fourth quarter. That was set up by a gutsy 4th-down call two plays earlier when Dan Campbell elected to go for it instead of kicking the field goal and giving the Packers a little time to try and match.
Final stats and figures
3 stars of the game
Dec 5, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick (17) celebrates his touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the third quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images
1st star: WR Tim Patrick – 6 catches for 43 yards and two TDs
2nd star: QB Jared Goff – 32-of-41 for 283 yards, three TDs and one INT, while also picking up two first downs on the ground
3rd star: RB David Montgomery – 51 yards on 14 carries and a TD, plus 5 catches on 5 targets for 33 yards. Special mention for his exceptional blitz pickups in pass protection, too.
Key points
–Za’Darius Smith bagged a sack on Jordan Love on Green Bay’s 1st offensive snap, a play where every Lions DL should be credited with a pass rush win.
–Lions rookie Christian Mahogany made his offensive debut while filling in for RG Kevin Zeitler in the first half. The 6th-rounder missed all of training camp and the early season while dealing with mononucleosis.
–DT Alim McNeill left the game in the first quarter to be evaluated for a concussion, but he returned later in the first half. He was then ruled out for the second half with a head injury that was not a concussion.
–Tim Patrick caught his first touchdown as a Lion, and also his first since 2021, in the third quarter to put the Lions ahead 24-21. He caught his second to put the Lions up 31-28 in the fourth quarter.
–Green Bay’s three first-half completions were their fewest in a half since 1993, per the Prime broadcast crew
–Jared Goff’s INT on the Lions first drive of the third quarter was his first since throwing five against the Texans in Week 10
–Smith’s sack on Green Bay’s first play was Detroit’s only sack on the night, but it felt like the replacements all over the line, notably Pat O’Connor, played pretty well.
–On the Lions failed 4th-and-2 in the third quarter, Penei Sewell completely whiffed on the block that led to Gibbs being brought down well short. Even the All-Pros have bad plays sometimes…
–On that front, this might have been the worst collective OL performance from the Lions since 2022. Give the Packers defensive front some credit for that, too.
–Ezekiel Turner made a huge stop in the fourth quarter to end a Packers drive and played a very impressive game upon first blush.
–For much of the second half, the Lions defense played a front seven that featured Jack Campbell and six other guys who weren’t on the 53-man roster in the first meeting with the Packers back in Week 9.
–The Lions clinched a playoff berth with the victory. It’s the earliest the team has ever clinched a postseason appearance in the Super Bowl era.
What’s next for the Lions?
The Lions get 10 days off until they welcome the 10-2 Buffalo Bills to Ford Field in the late-afternoon feature game in Week 15.