The Packers left Detroit with a loss they probably won’t shake quickly, and it came with the kind of mix that drives a coaching staff crazy: missed kicks, a ground game that never got going, and officiating that made the whole thing harder to stomach.
Green Bay did not help itself enough to pin everything on the refs, even if there were plenty of calls that left the visitors stunned. The Lions still closed the door with a game-winning drive, and the Packers now have to turn around fast with Carolina coming up on a short week.
The biggest kick-related headache belonged to Trey Smack. Green Bay opened the game with a bold fourth-down decision from Matt LaFleur, but the payoff never came because Smack missed a 26-yard field goal after a delay pushed the try back from 21 yards.
Then, when the Lions almost seemed to gift the Packers the game in the fourth quarter, Smack missed again from 35 yards. That kick was partly blocked, but the broader picture is ugly for a kicker who, as the source put it, has more misses from inside the 35-yard line than the rest of the league combined.
Jordan Love was asked to carry too much, and he nearly had to be the whole offense. Matthew Golden had a drop, but the biggest missed chance came on the play that set up Smack’s 35-yard try.
Josh Jacobs also had the ball in the end zone and dropped it, a brutal miss for a returning running back. Even with Jacobs back in the mix, Green Bay managed only 60 rushing yards while Love threw 45 times.
The officiating only poured gasoline on the frustration. Brian Branch went head-hunting on Tucker Kraft and wasn’t flagged, while the Packers were hit with what looked like questionable roughing the passer calls.
Love was also charged with intentional grounding when Kraft was right in front of him. And somehow that wasn’t even the strangest sequence.
In one NFC North showdown, a referee threw a flag on the Packers while on his own back after stepping into a play that had never been blown dead.
Detroit kept benefiting from the whistle and the yardage it brought, and by the end there was little doubt that this was one of the roughest-officiated games anyone in the building had seen.
In Other News...
Packers Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious About This Loss
The Packers had plenty to be frustrated about after their Week 7 loss to the Lions, and not just because the scoreboard tilted Detroits way at the end. Green Bay dug itself into a hole with a touchdown allowed on the opening drive, then spent the rest of the afternoon fighting through missed field goals, dropped passes from Jordan Loves receivers and a series of officiating calls that left plenty of people in green and gold seeing red.
It did not help that the game kept forcing the Packers into uncomfortable spots, with injuries adding another layer of difficulty to an already messy afternoon. By the time Detroit lined up for the winning kick, Green Bay had already been battered by its own mistakes and a few decisions it could not control, which is exactly why this one landed so hard on the fan base. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious Over This Late Call
Late-game officiating once again became the story in Green Bay, this time with defensive tackle Karl Brooks at the center of a roughing-the-passer flag against Lions quarterback Jared Goff. With under three minutes left in a tied game, the call handed Detroit a big gain and instantly shifted the pressure back onto the Packers, who were trying to hold serve in a tight NFC North battle.
The reaction was immediate and loud, with fans, media members and even former NFL quarterback Tom Brady publicly questioning the penalty. For Green Bay, the frustration is easy to understand: a decisive sequence in a one-score game turned on a call that left plenty of people asking what, exactly, officials saw. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Double Down On One Risk As O-Line Gets Shaken Up
The Packers are making a pair of notable calls as they head into their next game, sticking with rookie kicker Trey Smack while the offensive line continues to shuffle around him. Matt LaFleur said the team will keep Smack in place despite the recent missed field goals, a sign Green Bay is not ready to change course at a spot that can quickly turn from background noise into a headline.
Up front, the picture is just as unsettled. Injured centers Sean Rhyan and Jacob Monk are expected to miss the next game, which leaves John Williams in line to start at center, and the Packers plan to bring two offensive linemen off recent scratches to fill out the backup group. For an offense that relies on stability, it is another reminder that Green Bay may be asking a lot from the middle of its line in the very short term. [Read more 🡒]