Big 2nd half lifts Pack over Lions

The Green Bay Packers outscored the Detroit Lions 21-0 after halftime to claim a 35-17 win on Sept. 20 at Lambeau Field.

The teams traded punches in the first half, with a late Lions’ field goal giving the visitors a 17-14 lead at the break. The Packers’ offense started the second half with the ball and got a big play from its two biggest offensive stars to start rolling.

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Facing a third-and-12 play, quarterback Aaron Rodgers delivered a deep ball to receiver Davante Adams up the right sideline. The pass from Rodgers was perfect against good coverage, and Adams reached up at the last second to pull down the ball.

Three plays later, Rodgers delivered another perfect pass into a small window, finding tight end Robert Tonyan for a 22-yard touchdown and a 21-17 lead — the Packers’ first lead of the season.

“That was a game-changing play,” said coach Matt LaFleur on the 50-yard connection between Rodgers and Adams. “I think there was a couple within the game that were like that, but certainly that had an enormous impact on how that game turned out.”

The Packers’ defense then kept the Lions off the scoreboard for just the second possession of the game after forcing an incomplete pass on a fourth-down play.

A penalty-filled drive followed, with the Packers eventually extending their lead on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to running back Aaron Jones.

On the Lions’ first offensive play of the next series, quarterback Jared Goff mishandled the snap and Packers linebacker Krys Barnes fell on it.

Five plays later, Jones powered in from a yard out to cap the scoring in the contest and a four-touchdown game for the running back.

Jones scored both of the Packers’ first-half touchdowns, with one coming on a 4-yard touch pass from Rodgers and the other on a 1-yard pass to the right flat.

Jones finished the night with 17 carries for 67 yards and six receptions for 48 yards. His three receiving scores in the game marked the first time a Packer running back accomplished that feat since Andy Uram against the Chicago Cardinals way back in 1942.

“It feels great, you know, just to get that ugly taste out of your mouth (after the lopsided loss to the Saints in week one),” said Jones. “We had to wait an extra day to get that taste out of our mouth.”

“I’m glad we came out and handled business and (got) back to playing Packer football.”

The Packers’ offensive outburst in the second half was complimented by the defense shutting out the Lions after a shaky first half.

Green Bay’s defense surrendered 197 total yards and over six yards a play in the first 30 minutes of action. Along with its fourth-down stop and fumble recovery, the Packers’ defense forced a punt, saw linebacker De’Vondre Campbell intercept a pass and had another stop on fourth down in the final half.

After only managing three points in the opener, Green Bay’s offense was also much more efficient, with LaFleur noting the team made it a priority to put the ball in the hands of its playmakers.

Along with Jones’ big game, Adams caught eight passes for 121 yards, and Tonyan had three catches for 52 yards. Rodgers finished the night completing 22 of 27 passes for 255 yards and the four scores.

Along with his fourth-quarter interception, Campbell led the defense with 13 total tackles. Safety Adrian Amos had 10 total tackles.

“Hopefully, it is an upward trajectory,” said LaFleur on what to expect out of the defense going forward. “I think there are a lot of things that we can build upon, but certainly there are a lot of things we can do better.”

In what turned out to be a similar first half to the first week, Green Bay stayed in the game this time around because it was able to match Detroit’s scores.

After Detroit marched 75 yards in seven plays on the first drive of the game, Green Bay answered with an 11-play, 75-yard drive to tie it. The Lions went back ahead after scoring another touchdown on their third possession, but again the Packers answered, this time with a 10-play, 56-yard drive.

The victory improved LaFleur’s record to 7-0 in regular season games following a loss.

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