Green Bay Packers grind out 24-20 win over Detroit Lions - NFL Recap
The Green Bay Packers know how to win ugly and on a day when they were not at their best they still managed to grind out a 24-20 victory over division rivals Detroit Lions.
Green Bay with the win move up to 7-3 building up a five-game winning run while the Lions succumbed to their second straight defeat and now have a poor 4-6 regular season record.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was not at his best but still managed to provide the spark leading his team to another victory.
Rodgers passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns while also throwing an interception, helping Green Bay to overturn a 20-14 deficit in the fourth quarter.
Speaking to the media after the game the quarterback said:
"When our best was needed we were able to come through.”
Wide receiver Donald Driver also concurred and said:
"Early on, we were trying to find the identity we had last year when we had an attitude that no one could stop us coming off our Super Bowl. Now, we got our groove back and we're ready to roll."
Green Bay found its best but the Detroit Lions are still struggling to find their own identity.
Aiming to make another return to the playoffs, the Lions won’t achieve that goal with their current performances.
This was the second straight defeat for Detroit against a division rival after they lost 34-24 against the Minnesota Vikings in week 10.
Detroit managed to build up a 20-14 lead in the fourth quarter with just four minutes of play left but Rodgers managed to showcase his best at just the right time.
The reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) sent a 22-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb with 1:55 left to put Green Bay ahead while kicker Mason Crosby’s 39-yard field goal in the dying seconds put the game to bed.
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had a game to forget as he passed for 266 yards and a single touchdown while his two interceptions cost Detroit badly in a game they almost had to win to keep their playoff dreams alive.
Speaking to the media after the game Stafford sounded disappointed with his performance and said:
"I have to play better than that to give us a chance to win.”
Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy also said:
"We just buckled. Even that last touchdown late in the game, we had a chance to make a play on it, we just didn't make the play. That's kind of been the theme for us this year, being in position and not finishing."
Detroit will now have to perform much better in the coming days and desperately need to find some form if they wish to remain contenders for a playoff spot.
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