DETROIT – The Packers wasted too many scoring chances and ultimately lost to the Lions on a walk-off field goal, 20-17, Sunday at Ford Field.
Here are five takeaways from the frustrating defeat:
1. The Packers squandered a golden opportunity to take the lead late.
Green Bay's defense, led by CB Keisean Nixon, stuffed Detroit RB Jahmyr Gibbs on a daring fourth-and-1 call inside the Lions' own 25-yard line with less than five minutes left and the score tied at 17.
But the Packers didn't make them pay for it.
Despite prime field position at the Detroit 22, Green Bay did nothing with the possession. A throw to the end zone on third-and-5 to RB Josh Jacobs looked on target, but he couldn't haul it in as he lunged behind the defender. Making his season debut, Jacobs showed some nifty footwork down the sideline on a 25-yard TD reception earlier in the game, but he didn't come up with the late one.
Rookie K Trey Smack then missed a 35-yard field goal, which gave the Lions the ball back with 3:21 to go, and the Packers never saw it again.
The official scorebook recorded the kick as blocked by DJ Wonnum, but it's difficult to say how much his small deflection changed the course of the kick.
"Obviously very disappointed right now," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "I thought our team competed, they battled, but we did not capitalize on some premier opportunities right there."
2. It was a rough day for Smack.
Smack also missed a chip shot early in the game, from 26 yards out, to conclude the Packers' opening drive.
Using a clutch fourth-down completion in Detroit territory, Green Bay got all the way to second-and-goal at the 3, but stalled out. A delay of game penalty backed up the field goal from 21 yards to 26, and Smack pushed it right.
The Packers have been though these ups and downs with rookie kickers before, and it cost them dearly in this one.
"Certainly you never want to go through it, but Trey's a guy, I think he's proven that he can do it," LaFleur said. "I know he can do it. But we've got to wipe this one clean and move on."
LaFleur also regretted an earlier chance in the second quarter when he didn't give Smack the chance to make a kick, going for it on fourth-and-4 from the Detroit 7-yard line instead of trying a short kick that would've tied the game at 10.
"I was kicking myself," he said.
3. A number of questionable penalties hurt Green Bay.
The Packers were called for two more roughing the passer penalties, one on which Brenton Cox Jr. appeared to be blocked into Lions QB Jared Goff after the throw, and another on Karl Brooks on Detroit's game-winning drive that even the FOX TV announcers said was not a foul.
There was also a personal foul for a scuffle after a play on which no whistle was heard, an iffy intentional grounding call on QB Jordan Love that didn't look much different from a similar play by Goff earlier, and a ticky-tack defensive pass interference penalty that wiped out an interception by rookie CB Brandon Cisse.
On the former, LaFleur had a long discussion with an official during a TV timeout. After the game, he said: "There was no whistle blown and the guy continued to run … so our guys continued to play, too.
"They were trying to tell me the play was obviously dead, but how can you tell if you don't hear a whistle?"
But that was as far as LaFleur would take the penalty discussion afterward.
"I didn't get many explanations throughout the entire game," LaFleur said, later adding: "I don't even want to comment on any of the penalties. It is what it is. You gotta play above it. I thought there were some tough calls …
"I can say what I really think but I don't think it does any good."
Green Bay has now been called for eight roughing the passer penalties to zero for the opponents this season. Asked about that discrepancy, Love – who has taken his share of hits on the year – said he does talk with the officials about plays on which he thinks he might've been roughed.
"We have those conversations, tell them to look out for it," he said, before declining to say much more. "It's tough."
4. The Packers got a great effort from their No. 3 center, and the defense came up big several times, while also having regrets.
Early in the game, the Packers lost starting center Sean Rhyan to an ankle injury, and right away his backup, Jacob Monk, also left with a quad injury.
That inserted John Williams at center, and the second-year pro and seventh-round draft pick from last year made his NFL debut, holding his own in a tough place and under difficult circumstances. Williams rookie season in 2025 was essentially a washout due to a back injury.
"I can't say enough about the job John Williams did, coming into a hostile environment," LaFleur said. "To lose two guys at center that quickly in the game was a little bit terrifying, but I thought he did a really good job."
Love added Williams' practice time at center is "not much," as he's also a backup left tackle.
"John did a great job stepping up, being ready, being able to come in, make those calls at a position he hasn't played too much," Love said.
Defensively, the Packers recovered two fumbles – one with the Lions knocking on the door to score at the end of the first half, and another near midfield at the start of the second half.
The defense also got a fourth-down stop inside the 10 late in the third quarter to keep points off the board, when Cisse alertly pushed Jameson Williams out of the back of the end zone so he couldn't come down in bounds with the TD catch.
One big miss, though, came when S Evan Williams dropped what looked to be a sure interception early in the fourth quarter. And then Detroit's final drive was aided by the Brooks RTP and an offside on Brooks on third-and-5 at the two-minute warning that gave the Lions a first down and helped them run down the clock for the walk-off.
5. There's no time to wallow in despair.
As maddening as this loss is, the Packers have a short week and a Thursday night home game coming up against a Carolina team that was blown out by NFC South rival Tampa Bay on Sunday.
The Packers will enter that game at 4-3 and in last place in an NFC North division that has all four teams above .500.
"It's a tough one," LaFleur said. "We can't feel sorry for ourselves. Gotta move on.
"We're going to have a team that I'm sure is going to be pretty ticked off in their own right coming into Lambeau. It's going to be the team that can bounce back the best."
