The Detroit Lions have won a franchise record 11 straight games.
Thursday night's 34-31 win over the Green Bay Packers saw the team clinch the playoffs despite giving up a 17-7 halftime lead in the second half.
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Detroit's premier play of the game came in the final seconds to set up the game-winning field goal. Dan Campbell opted to go for 4th and inches with 43 seconds to go, and David Montgomery converted despite Jared Goff's slip after snapping.
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Jake Bates then nailed the kick to seal the result and move Detroit to 12-1, while Green Bay fell to 9-4.
Let's analyze the game further with winners and losers:
WINNER: Jared Goff, Lions
Goff continued to be unplayable in a dome setting. Despite a second-half pick that could've been costly, Goff rebounded well to finish with 283 passing yards on 32 of 41 completions and three touchdowns while only being sacked once.
Detroit's defense did succumb to second-half pressure from Green Bay, but Goff assembling these types of performances should give the team confidence of a deeper playoff run.
LOSER: Slow starts
It was a tale of two halves for Green Bay. Jordan Love only completed three passes for 31 yards at halftime. He then opened the second half with a deep bomb to Christian Watson for 59 yards. Love went on to end the game with 12 of 20 completions for 206 yards, one touchdown and no picks.
However, had Love and the offense moved the ball better in the first half, they have been able to pull off the road upset. Instead, Detroit repeated what it did in the first half, minus the pick, and got the job done in the end.
WINNER: Josh Jacobs, Packers
Jacobs continued having an underrated season despite the loss. He joined Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry in the 1,000-yard-plus rushing list this season, en route to logging 18 carries for 66 yards.
Jacobs also added three rushing scores, making it seven touchdowns in his last three games. He also had a three-touchdown game two weeks ago in a rout of the San Francisco 49ers.
LOSER: Jayden Reed, Packers
The Packers have a deep receiving room filled with young talent, which will lead to inconsistent targets and production. That's happening with 24-year-old Jayden Reed, who also continued with oscillating showings.
Reed was targeted just once in the loss but didn't have a single catch. He's had three 100-yard-plus receiving games this campaign, but his struggles have continued for three-plus weeks. Prior to tonight, he had total receptions of two, three and three in Green Bay's last three affairs. Matt LaFleur will need to make some tweaks for the youngster.
WINNER: Clinching playoff berths
Detroit finished the 2023 season with a 12-5 record and won the division. It has already matched that win total with four more games to go, along with clinching a playoff berth. Winning the division isn't a guarantee yet with the Minnesota Vikings and Packers still in the mix, but the team's growth under Campbell has been nothing short of spectacular.
However, the Lions don't have an easy run-in for their next four games. They host the Buffalo Bills next before travelling to face the Chicago Bears and 49ers. They host the Vikings to end the regular season. The first step to a Super Bowl run has been achieved, but securing the No. 1 seed is even more important given their form at home.
