The NFC North race took center stage in Week 7, and the opening quarter in Detroit showed exactly why this one matters. The Packers arrived with momentum, the Lions came in rested after their bye, and neither side wasted time throwing the ball around in a fast-moving start.
Green Bay got the first shot after Detroit won the toss and deferred. Jordan Love had short fields and big-play help right away, first from Matthew Golden on a 22-yard toe-tapper along the boundary and then from Savion Williams on a 27-yard fourth-down conversion.
But when the Packers reached the red zone, the Lions tightened up. Tyleik Williams helped force Love off his spot on third-and-goal, and Green Bay came away empty after missing a 26-yard field goal.
Detroit answered with a drive that looked more like the Lions fans know. Jahmyr Gibbs picked up an early third down with a 7-yard catch, then the offense detonated through the air: a 28-yard completion to Amon-Ra St.
Brown, a 24-yard strike to Jameson Williams, and a 16-yard touchdown pass to a crossing Jamo. That finished a six-play, 80-yard march and put Detroit up 7-0.
The Packers didn’t blink. They worked their way to midfield, then converted another fourth down when Detroit lost Tucker Kraft in coverage for a 22-yard gain.
On a later red-zone sequence, Aidan Hutchinson nearly came away with an interception on second down, but Green Bay stayed alive. Love escaped pressure on third-and-9 from the 14 and found Kraft again, this time after Jack Campbell slipped, and the game was tied 7-7.
Detroit had a quick answer in the works before the first quarter ended. Goff hit St. Brown for 40 yards on the opening play of the next series, and Gibbs followed with a 12-yard run to push the Lions to the Packers’ 25 as the opening quarter closed.
In Other News...
Packers Coach Weighed In On The Lions Penalty Controversy
The Packers 20-17 loss to the Lions came with plenty of extra attention on the officials, as Green Bay was flagged repeatedly and Detroit was handed 81 free yards in a game that stayed tight throughout. Matt LaFleur did not hide his frustration afterward, especially with one roughing-the-passer call, but he also stopped short of turning his postgame availability into a full-scale attack on the officiating.
LaFleur made clear he wanted the focus to shift quickly from the calls to the loss itself, saying the Packers need to move on and get ready for their next game against the Carolina Panthers. For Detroit, it was the kind of divisional win that can linger with the opponent long after the final whistle, especially when the games most debated moments keep coming back into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Win Sparked A Postgame NFL Reaction Packers Fans Hated
The Lions 20-17 win over Green Bay was already going to leave the Packers frustrated, but the reaction afterward pushed the conversation well beyond the final whistle. Packers safety Xavier McKinney took aim at the officiating in the aftermath, and even Fox broadcaster Tom Brady raised questions about several calls, including a roughing-the-passer penalty that drew attention during the game.
What really set off Packers fans, though, came later when the leagues own social media account leaned into the celebration. The NFL posted a clip of Lions players dancing after a late offsides penalty on Green Bay, and the choice did not go over well with a chunk of the Packers fan base online. It turned a tense divisional loss into one more talking point in a rivalry that already needs no help getting heated. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Campbell Defended The Lions Gamble That Nearly Backfired Vs Packers
Late in the fourth quarter of Detroits Week 7 matchup with Green Bay, Dan Campbell made the kind of call that defines the way the Lions want to play. With the game tied and under five minutes left, he kept the offense on the field for a fourth-and-1 at his own 24-yard line instead of punting, a decision that raised eyebrows in the moment when the conversion came up short and handed the Packers a short field.
Campbell didnt back away from it afterward. He said he believed Detroit would get the first down and, even if it didnt, the defense would be able to get the ball back, and the sequence played out in a way that preserved his logic. The Packers failed to cash in on the field-position gift, the Lions were able to survive the scare, and the game still came down to a last-second field goal. [Read more 🡒]