GREEN BAY – The Detroit Lions weren't going to let Josh Jacobs beat them.
So, the Packers' passing game did instead.
With Detroit committed to stacking the box against Green Bay's Pro Bowl running back with single-high safety looks, Green Bay took advantage through the air en route to a 27-13 victory over the Lions during Sunday's regular-season opener at Lambeau Field.
Jacobs was limited to just eight yards on six carries in the first half but the added attention freed Packers quarterback Jordan Love to dice up Detroit's secondary on the first three drives.
By halftime, Green Bay was leading 17-3 while nine different players had caught passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns.
"That's their goal was to stop '8.' They had eight, nine in the box all game, so we came out swinging," Jacobs said. "I told the receivers, 'Take it personal.' They were basically saying if they stopped me, then they win the game. So (the wideouts) all came out ready."
The Packers converted three third downs on the opening drive of the game, a methodical 12-play, 83-yard series that opened with a 20-yard pass to Romeo Doubs and ended with Love threading a 15-yard touchdown to tight end Tucker Kraft down the seam past Lions safety Brian Branch on third-and-9.
The drive was aided by Branch being called for unsportsmanlike conduct for ripping off Kraft's helmet and tossing it towards Detroit's sideline while the two were engaged in a block.
"Every game in your division is kind of gonna be like that, especially our division," Kraft said. "That level of competitiveness, that drive to make plays to get into your opponents' heads, continue to control the momentum of the game, those things are just gonna happen."
Love and the Packers kept pouring it on during their next series, catching Kerby Joseph playing deep one-high safety on third-and-7.
That gave Jayden Reed ample room for a 26-yard catch down the middle of the field to set up a 38-yard Brandon McManus field goal that gave Green Bay a 10-0 advantage and the fast start it sought heading into the matchup.
The Packers delivered a stiff jab at the start of the second quarter, quickly answering a 16-play, 78-yard Lions scoring drive that ate 9 minutes, 31 seconds off the clock but only produced a 30-yard Jake Bates field goal.
Going under center, Love executed the play fake to Jacobs and dropped back to fire a 48-yard pass to Doubs. On the next play, Love floated in a 17-yard TD pass to Reed.
"I think the game just slowed down a lot for us just because the studying we did and identifying coverages," Reed said. "I felt like it was super easy for me today. … We got some really good indications on them, and we put that into today and it worked out."
The Packers' success through the air allowed Jacobs to seal the game in the second half, where the sixth-year running back earned 58 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Jacobs' 3-yard score with eight minutes left not only extended Green Bay's lead to 24-6 but also pushed his franchise record to nine consecutive games with a touchdown. Former All-Pro receiver Davante Adams previously had eight games with a TD back in 2020.
"I didn't know I broke a record today," said Jacobs afterward. "I would have kept that ball and celebrated a little bit more."
Message sent and delivered: The Packers' run defense passed its first significant test without Kenny Clark and has the three-time Pro Bowler's replacement partly to thank for that.
In just his second career start, Colby Wooden had six tackles, a career-high two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit. He contributed to Green Bay limiting Detroit's one-two punch of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to 44 yards on 20 carries.
Helping light a little extra fire in Wooden's belly was his father Irvin, who kept his son up to speed on what everyone was saying about the Packers' chances of stopping Detroit all week.
"My dad called me on Thursday and said, 'Do me a favor, shut 'em up,'" said Wooden with a smile. "I just did my job, went out there and stopped the run. I took it personally honestly. I felt like it was kind of disrespectful like, 'Well, they're gonna run the ball.' We made it our mission to stop the run."
Wooden also was the benefactor of the extra attention incoming pass rusher Micah Parsons drew on defense. With Detroit backed up against its own end zone at the start of the fourth quarter, Wooden came unblocked up the middle to tackle Montgomery for a 1-yard loss on third-and-16 at the Lions' 2.
Green Bay used the field position to set up the eight-play, 36-yard scoring drive that ended with Jacobs' touchdown.
"I'm gonna be real. It just opened like the red sea," Wooden said. "Like dang, they didn't block me. I just made the tackle. Coach preaches all the time, don't get tired making the routine play – a routine play is a tackle."
Offensive line gets the job done: One of the big reasons Love was able to dice up the Lions' secondary was the time he was given thanks to the Packers' offensive line.
Detroit managed just two hits on Love with no sacks. Dating back to last season, Green Bay has not allowed a sack in four of its last seven contests.
"The O-line did great today," Kraft said. "They were passing stuff off early. They were doing great with picks. They were getting their depth. They were using their eyes, their hands. … It was just the front seven, front eight up there just trying to contribute and keep the quarterback safe."
The Packers lost right tackle Zach Tom to a hip injury in the third quarter. Recently acquired offensive lineman Darian Kinnard stepped in for Tom before rookie second-round pick Anthony Belton subbed in late.
Former first-round pick Jordan Morgan opened the game in a rotation at right guard with Sean Rhyan, who started there, before moving to left guard when Aaron Banks left with an ankle injury.
"We both want to be out there and helping the team, but no matter what you've got to think of it in a positive way," said Rhyan of the right guard rotation. "He's out there, then I get to rest, recover and get ready, so that when I go out there, I'm sharp. And when he goes back out there, he's sharp."
