The Green Bay Packers secured their second-consecutive NFC North division title with a 31-24 road win over the Detroit Lions.
Editor's note: All of PFF's grades and advanced stats from this game will be finalized and made available to ELITE subscribers within 24 hours of the final whistle.
Story of the Game
Matthew Stafford left late in the fourth quarter due to a rib injury after a red-zone scamper that set up a D’Andre Swift touchdown. He was unable to return, so backup Chase Daniel was called up to try and finish the comeback. After securing a field goal off of a Jamal Agnew 71-yard kick return, the Lions couldn't secure an onside kick.
Rodgers didn't miss a throw until his 11th pass of the game, completing 26 of 33 attempts for 290 yards and three touchdowns on the day. He even added a 6-yard touchdown run.
Alongside Rodgers’ success came a solid outing for his top two receivers and favorite tight end. Davante Adams hauled in seven of his 10 targets for 115 yards — 86 of which came after the catch — and one touchdown. Marquez Valdez-Scantling was even more efficient, as he caught all six of his targets for 85 yards, five first downs and a stellar back shoulder catch in the end zone. Last but not least from the receiving trio was Tonyan, who saw only five passes come his way but reeled them all in for 36 yards. The tight end caught team’s final touchdown and the third down conversion that ended the bout.
Neither rushing attack was effective, with both teams finishing with less than 4.0 yards per carry. Rodgers had the Packers' lone rushing score, and both Swift and Kerryon Johnson scored from three yards or less from the end zone.
The Lions' offensive line struggled to protect Stafford from the Packers’ front seven, as it allowed 11 pressures and was beaten on seven more occasions where the QB was able to get rid of the football before it became a pressure.
There are two significant “what if” questions Lions fans may be contemplating right now: What if Stafford was uninjured and took over after Agnew’s kick return? And what if the onside kick was recovered by their kicking team? Hypotheticals aside, the reality is that the Lions are now 5-8 on the season and should begin to gear their attention toward 2021.
ROOKIE WATCH
The Packers only had one rookie receive 20 or more snaps — linebacker Krys Barnes. He was unable to do much in his playing time, allowing both targets in his coverage to be caught for 21 yards and recording zero tackles against the run.
On the Lions' sideline, guard Jonah Jackson, receiver Quintez Cephus and defensive tackle John Penisini all saw significant time on the field. Jackson did not fare well in pass protection, allowing four pressures on 45 pass-blocking snaps, one of which resulted in a QB hit.
Cephus only had two passes thrown his way but caught both for 16 yards and one first down. Much like his collegiate career, Penisini was a non-factor as a pass-rusher, recording zero QB pressures on 22 pass-rushing snaps. He did, however, make two tackles against the run, both notching defensive stops and one qualifying as a tackle for loss or no gain.
ELITE subscribers can view player grades, advanced statistics, positional snap counts and more in Premium Stats 2.0.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.