Matt LaFleur got his bruised and battered football team prepared to play, and Jordan Love and an opportunistic defense did the rest as the Green Bay Packers stunned the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field.
Given the circumstances, the win stands as one of the very best in the LaFleur era in Green Bay.
The Packers took the ball to open the game and scored immediately, used a defensive touchdown to take a 20-6 lead in the first half and then got a critical touchdown pass from Love to Christian Watson, a handful of stops on fourth down and an onside kick recovery to seal the 29-22 win.
The victory snapped the Packers’ four-game losing streak to the Lions and shocked to life the team’s playoff aspirations after 12 weeks. LaFleur’s team has won three of the last four games.
Love completed 22 of 32 passes for 268 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. His passer rating was 125.5. He hit Watson, Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft for scores. He also created a crucial 37-yard run in the fourth quarter.
The Lions cut the deficit to 29-22 with a late touchdown and two-point conversion but Reed recovered the onside kick and Love kneeled down to close it out.
The Packers beat the No. 2 seed in the NFC without Aaron Jones, Jaire Alexander, Luke Musgrave, De’Vondre Campbell, Rudy Ford, Darnell Savage and Dontayvion Wicks. Several other players battled through injuries.
Watson caught five passes for 94 yards and a score. He got things going with a 53-yard catch on the game’s first play.
Rashan Gary had three sacks, including one forcing a fumble that was recovered by Jonathan Owens and returned for a touchdown. Another came on fourth down.
Overall, the Lions gained 464 yards but finished 1-for-5 on fourth down.
The Packers won the sack battle 3-0 and the turnover battle 3-0.
After starting 2-5, the Packers now sit in the No. 8 spot in the NFC with a legitimate path — given the schedule ahead — to sneaking into the seven-team playoff field. Up next is a long weekend of recovery before preparing to welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to Lambeau Field for primetime in Week 13.
