GREEN BAY – The Packers used a fast start by the offense and a strong performance by the defense throughout in knocking off the Lions, 27-13, in the season opener Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay scored 17 points on its first three possessions of the game, with TE Tucker Kraft and WR Jayden Reed catching TD passes, in building a 17-3 halftime lead.
The defense kept the Packers comfortably in control, thanks to an interception in the red zone by S Evan Williams, a sack by DL Rashan Gary back near Detroit's goal line, and a fourth-down sack by DL Devonte Wyatt midway through the fourth quarter.
The Packers used the good field position off the latter two stops to add 10 points for a 27-6 advantage, as RB Josh Jacobs cashed in with a rushing TD.
The Lions did not find the end zone until 55 seconds remained in the game.
Packers QB Jordan Love was 16-of-22 for 188 yards with two TDs and a 128.6 passer rating. WR Romeo Doubs had two catches for 68 yards while Reed had three for 45 and a TD. It took a while for the running game to get going, but Jacobs wound up rushing 19 times for 66 yards and a score.
For the Lions, QB Jared Goff took short throws all game and was 31-of-39 for 225 yards with a TD and INT for an 88.6 rating. He was sacked four times, including once by Packers newcomer Micah Parsons late in the fourth quarter.
TE Sam LaPorta had six catches for 79 yards for Detroit, while WR Amon-Ra St. Brown had four catches for 45 yards.
The Packers held RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs to just 44 combined rushing yards on 20 carries. The backs also combined for 14 receptions for 49 yards, with Gibbs catching 10 passes.
Here's a recap of all the action:
Packers lead Lions 10-0 after first quarter
Detroit won the opening coin toss and elected to defer. The Packers opened the season with 12-play, 83-yard scoring drive, with Jordan Love completing 6-of-8 passes for 65 yards.
The series opened with Romeo Doubs gaining separation on a play-action crosser for 20 yards despite an illegal contact penalty on Lions cornerback D.J. Reed.
The Packers converted three third downs during the drive, beginning with a 16-yard pass from quarterback Jordan Love to Dontayvion Wicks on third-and-10 from the Green Bay 38.
Rookie first-round pick Matthew Golden's first NFL catch was an 11-yard pickup on third-and-6. Detroit safety Brian Branch was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for ripping off the helmet of Packers tight end Tucker Kraft and throwing it to the sideline with 10 minutes, 25 seconds left in the first quarter.
Three plays later, Kraft caught a 15-yard touchdown down the seam with Branch in coverage to put the Packers up 7-0 with 9:26 remaining in the opening quarter.
Green Bay's defense forced a three-and-out after Micah Parsons helped force a three-and-7 check down from Lions quarterback Jared Goff to Jahmyr Gibbs, who was tackled for a 2-yard loss by Packers defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness.
Green Bay started its second series from its own 48 after Golden's 11-yard punt return on a 43-yard Jack Fox punt.
After running a Kraft jet sweep for three yards, Love found a wide open Jayden Reed down the middle of the field for 26 yards against single-high coverage to convert on third-and-7.
Love couldn't find Doubs on a third-and-4 back shoulder to Doubs and the Packers settled for a 34-yard Brandon McManus field goal to take a 10-0 lead with 3:58 left in the first quarter.
McManus delivered a solid kickoff to the Detroit goal line that was only returned to the 20. A holding penalty pushed the Lions back to the 10 and then saw first-and-15 after an offsides penalty on Jameson Williams.
On second-and-12, Amon-Ra St. Brown made a diving sideline catch for 19 yards. Head Coach Matt LaFleur unsuccessfully challenged the catch. The first quarter ended with Detroit facing a third-and-1 at midfield.
Packers lead Lions 17-3 at halftime
Colby Wooden dropped David Montgomery for a 1-yard loss to start the second quarter, but the Lions converted the first down after Packers safety Xavier McKinney was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct during a confrontation with Lions receiver Kalif Raymond.
An 8-yard pass to St. Brown moved Detroit inside Green Bay's red zone but settled for a 30-yard Jake Bates field goal to cut the Packers' lead to 10-3 with 9:27 left in the first half.
Following a touchback, Love rocketed a play-action pass 48 yards downfield to Romeo Doubs after starting under center. It was the longest reception of Doub's four-year NFL career.
On the next play, Love showed good touch on a floater to Reed for a 17-yard touchdown to put Green Bay up 17-3 with 8:34 left in the first half.
After a 16-play drive that led to a field goal, Detroit engineered another series heavy with runs and checkdown passes to Montgomery.
After surviving two third downs on the series, the Lions converted a fourth-and-2 attempt from the Packers' 30 with an 11-yard pass to Jameson Williams on a crossing pattern as the first half reached the two-minute warning.
After a Lukas Van Ness pressure and run stop, Micah Parsons beat Penei Sewell on an inside move to pressure Goff into a bad pass that was intercepted by safety Evan Williams at the Green Bay 13 with 1:10 remaining in the first half.
The Packers went three-and-out after Josh Jacobs was stopped for no gain on a third-and-1 direct snap.
Packers lead Lions 17-6 after three
The second half started with Goff finding an open Sam LaPorta for 32 yards to push the ball down to the Packers' 31-yard line.
Goff reconnected with LaPorta for another 16-yard pickup on third-and-5, but the Packers' defense held the Lions to a 27-yard Bates field goal with 9:40 left in the third quarter.
Jacobs gained nine yards on his first two carries of Green Bay's next drive but was stopped on a third-and-1 run and the Packers were forced to punt after another three-and-out.
Brenton Cox Jr. was slow to get up after the Lions' first play of the next series, a 4-yard checkdown to Gibbs. Van Ness and Gary combined to sack Goff for a 6-yard loss on third-and-6 to force the Detroit punt.
Starting at Green Bay's 15, Love quickly hit Wicks for 13 yards. Zach Tom sustained a hip injury on the drive and replaced by Darian Kinnard. A defensive holding penalty gave Green Bay a first down on third-and-6.
A 10-yard Jacobs run gave the Packers a first down at the Packers' 49 but Green Bay was forced to punt after Love couldn't connect with Reed on a third-and-5 deep ball.
Packers tame Lions 27-13 for first win of the season
The fourth quarter began with Rashan Gary sacking Jared Goff for a 7-yard loss on first down from the Green Bay 8. On third-and-16, Wooden blew through the offensive line for his second tackle for a loss of the day on a Montgomery draw.
Reed returned Fox's 50-yard punt 20 yards to the Lions' 36 with 12:40 left in the fourth quarter.
Jacobs busted his longest run of the afternoon for 15 yards on second-and-8 to move Green Bay inside Detroit's red zone before gaining another six yards on his next carry.
Jacobs was stopped for no gain on third-and-1, but Love leapt over the line to gain two yards on fourth down.
Two plays later, Jacobs punched in a 3-yard touchdown to extend Green Bay's lead to 24-6 with 7:57 left while also extending his franchise record for most consecutive games with a TD to nine.
Kingsley Enagbare pushed Sewell back to force a Goff overthrow on third-and-2. With Detroit going for it on fourth down, Devonte Wyatt powered his way to a sack for an 8-yard loss and the turnover on downs at the Detroit 27.
The Packers ran it three times behind Jacobs before McManus made a 38-yard field goal to make it 27-6 with 4:22 remaining.
Raymond dropped a pass downfield before Parsons chased down Jared Goff for a sack. The Lions converted on fourth-and-5 with a 5-yard pass to Williams. Detroit finally found the end zone with 55 seconds remaining after Isaac TeSlaa caught a diving 13-yard TD to make it 27-13 Green Bay. It was originally ruled incomplete but overturned upon official review.
Emanuel Wilson gained four yards on a carry before Love kneeled out the Packers' first win of the year.
