Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is hit by Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan … [+] Hutchinson during the first half Thursday.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.Schindler’s List was the country’s No. 1 movie.
Gas averaged $1.11 per gallon.
And Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ was the nation’s top song.
The year was 1993, and just three members of the Green Bay Packers were alive. That was also the last time the Detroit Lions won a divisional title.
That could change in 2023.
In a critical early-season NFC North contest, Detroit came to Green Bay and downed the Packers, 34-20. The Lions dominated the first half, led 27-3 at the break, and held off a mild second half rally by the Packers.
Detroit improved to 3-1 and defeated the Packers for a fourth straight time. Green Bay slipped to 2-2. Both Minnesota and Chicago are 0-3 and bringing up the divisional basement.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly from the Lions’ win over Green Bay:
THE GOOD BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: Green Bay was dreadful in every facet and trailed, 24-3, at halftime. But the Packers did show life in the second half, scoring 17 points and making things semi-interesting.
Quarterback Jordan Love threw for a touchdown and ran for another score in the second half, but also threw a critical interception. Love also led the Packers to scores on three of their five second half possessions.
The problem is by the time Green Bay got going, it was already in a three-score hole.
ROMEO DOUBS: The Packers welcomed back speedy wideout Christian Watson, who missed the first three games with a hamstring injury. Green Bay’s best receiver, though, was Romeo Doubs — who’s off to a terrific start to the 2023 campaign.
Doubs caught a career-high nine passes for 95 yards and now has 20 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns through four games.
Doubs was off to a terrific start to his rookie season in 2022 before being hit by injury. He’s been even better at the outset of 2023.
THIS AND THAT: Rudy Ford had a first quarter interception that he returned 21 yards to the Lions’ 16-yard line. That set up a 34-yard field goal by rookie kicker Anders Carlson. … Rashan Gary drew a holding penalty on left tackle Taylor Decker. … Rookie defensive end Karl Brooks notched his second career sack when he dumped Jared Goff for a 10-yard loss in the third quarter. … Carlson has yet to miss a kick this year, going 9-of-9 on extra points and 5-of-5 on field goals. … Middle linebacker Quay Walker had a team-high 19 tackles. … Keisean Nixon had a 34-yard punt return in the fourth quarter.
THE BAD END OF THE ROAD?: The Packers placed left tackle David Bakhtiari on injured reserve before the game and he’s not expected back in 2023.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Bakhtiari recently had arthroscopic surgery on his knee. A second surgery is now expected with hopes it will alleviate the cartilage problem that has slowed Bakhtiari since he tore his ACL on Dec. 31, 2020.
Bakhtiari played just 27 snaps in 2021, then played 597 snaps in 2022 and started looking like the player that was named AP All-Pro each season from 2016-2020. Bakhtiari didn’t allow a sack or a hit all last year and surrendered only 10 hurries on 339 pass-blocking snaps.
Bakhtiari had a strong Week 1 performance when the Packers won at Chicago. Afterwards, Bakhtiari was giddy about the victory and excited about Green Bay’s young team.
“I was having a hell of a time,” Bakhtiari said that night. “I know I’m closer to the end than the beginning, so I’m going to cherish every moment I’ve got. I’m having fun with these young guys.”
Bakhtiari hasn’t practiced or played since, and his Green Bay career could very well be over.
Bakhtiari counts $40.58 million against the salary cap, and the Packers would pick up $21 million of cap space by cutting him. At this point, it seems likely that Bakhtiari’s 11-year career in Green Bay has come to an end.
GROUNDED: The Packers entered the game ranked just 23rd in the league with 90.3 rushing yards per game and 26th with 3.4 yards per carry. Green Bay then had just 27 rushing yards and averaged 2.3 yards per attempt.
“I think there’s a multitude of things,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said this week when asked what’s wrong with the run game. “We’re going to start with what position we’re putting these guys in, in terms of our scheme, but I also think that we’ve got to make sure that when we have opportunities, whether it’s a double-team or what-not, we’re playing with really good fundamentals, great pad level and physicality.”
The Packers had none of the above Thursday night.
THIS AND THAT: Packers tight end Luke Musgrave left the game with a concussion and didn’t return. … Walker had a critical penalty for leaping over a lineman as the Lions kicked a fourth quarter field goal. Detroit got a first down after accepting the penalty, and four plays later, David Montgomery’s 1-yard touchdown run gave the Lions an insurmountable 34-17 lead.
THE UGLY NIGHTMARISH FIRST HALF: Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Packers in one of their poorest first halves in years.
The Lions outgained the Packers, 284-21, and had 15 first downs to just three for Green Bay. Detroit had 163 passing yards, while the Packers had 14. The Lions also had 121 rushing yards, to just seven for Green Bay.
Detroit averaged 7.1 yards per play, while the Packers averaged 1.0. Love was sacked four times for 36 yards, while Green Bay didn’t sack Jared Goff a single time.
The Lions held the ball almost 20 minutes to just 10 for Green Bay and ran 40 plays to only 22 for the Packers. And Green Bay was in a 27-3 hole at the break.
This was a nightmare on Lombardi Ave. for the Packers and the home crowd.
HUMAN TURNSTYLES: Love had been sacked just three times in the first three games. Then he was sacked four times in the first half alone.
Love was sacked twice in the first seven minutes. First Aidan Hutchinson beat Jon Runyan on an inside stunt to stymie the Packers’ opening drive. Green Bay’s second possession went nowhere when Isiaah Buggs split Josh Myers and Royce Newman for a sack.
Late in the first half, Alim McNeil smoked left tackle Rasheed Walker and dumped Love for an 8-yard loss. Then on the final play of the half, the Lions blitzed to ensure the Packers couldn’t throw a Hail Mary and Hutchinson and Charles Harris combined to sack Love.
“I just think you see a tough, gritty group,” LaFleur said of the Lions. “They’re an effort based team and you can see it all over the tape, no matter what phase you put on. They’re going to give you everything they’ve got.”
THIS AND THAT?: The Packers couldn’t stop Detroit running back David Montgomery, who ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns. … The Lions won their fourth straight game against Green Bay. … Green Bay wideout Jayden Reed tried picking up a bouncing punt, but muffed it. Fortunately the Packers, cornerback Kiondre Thomas recovered.