Aaron Rodgers fell injured after throwing a touchdown pass to give the Green Bay Packers a 14-0 edge in the first half Sunday, returned to the game in the second half to break a 14-14 tie, and led his team to a 30-20 victory over the Detroit Lions to secure the Packers’ fourth straight NFC North title.
The win gives the Packers the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and a much-needed bye during the wildcard weekend. The Packers will either face the Dallas Cowboys, who will play the Lions next weekend, or — if Dallas loses — the winner of the game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers.
“A big night for us,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “We’re excited about obviously winning the division, the bye week to get ready for another game here in the second round at Lambeau Field.”
On Sunday, the Packers’ defense was excellent against an uneven Lions offense, and special teams chipped in with a touchdown on a 55-yard punt return by Micah Hyde to get the scoring started in the first quarter, but Rodgers was the focal point of the game from the start.
“Aaron Rodgers, I don’t know what to say about him,” McCarthy said. “To come back after the calf injury, and to perform on a limited game plan and to play at a high level that he continues to play at, I thought was extraordinary.”
The Packers quarterback was dealing with a calf injury leading up to the game. On Rodgers’ final pass of the first half — a 4-yard toss to receiver Randall Cobb for a touchdown that put the Packers up 14-0 — Rodgers fell to the ground and did not get up.
After being helped off the field by two trainers, and with the Lambeau Field crowd chanting M-V-P, Rodgers was taken to the locker room, where he was diagnosed with another injury to his already injured calf.
Detroit, sensing the Packers’ vulnerability, scored before the end of the half on a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to receiver Calvin Johnson.
Rodgers did not immediately return after halftime. Matt Flynn took the snaps on the Packers’ first drive of the second half, which ended with a sack on third down just as Rodgers emerged from the tunnel still in uniform.
Rodgers got loose on the sidelines as Detroit scored again, this time on a 4-yard connection between Stafford and Johnson.
Going 60 yards in 4 minutes, the Rodgers-led Packers quickly reasserted themselves. Rodgers once again connected with Cobb, this time for 13 yards, to cap the drive and give the Packers a 21-14 advantage.
After Detroit was held to a three-and-out, the Packers' ensuing drive ended with a 52-yard field goal attempt by kicker Mason Crosby that was blocked, the seventh blocked kick of the season for the Packers.
The Packers got the ball right back, though, when Stafford and running back Joique Bell fumbled an exchange and safety Morgan Burnett came up with the recovery.
“I’ve always had confident in our defense,” McCarthy said. “And frankly, our defense has been outstanding since the bye week.”
The Packers drove 41 yards to the 1-yard line, where Rodgers punched it in himself on a keeper up the middle.
“He is one of those guys that you can’t keep down in a big game like this,” Detroit coach Jim Caldwell said. “He stepped back in and was obviously still able to do his job.”
After joking about Rodgers flopping, Clay Matthews, who had a sack and two tackles for a loss in the game, had high praise for his quarterback.
“We needed him (Rodgers),” Matthews said. “He’s obviously the MVP for a reason. And if this doesn’t solidify it today, I don’t know what will. I think that week off is going to help him out tremendously as well as all of us.”
Up 28-14, the Packers’ defense forced a turnover on downs midway through the fourth quarter. The Packers tacked on two more points with a safety to end another Detroit drive when Stafford was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone to avoid the sack by a rushing Datone Jones.
Rodgers finished 17 of 22 for 226 yards, two touchdowns and a 139.6 rating. Cobb had four catches for 80 yards. Jordy Nelson had six catches for 86 yards, finishing the season with a Packers franchise record 1,519 receiving yards. He passed the mark of 1,497 set by Robert Brooks in 1995. Rookie tight end Richard Rodgers caught five balls.
Eddie Lacy, who set a tone early with rushes on the Packers’ first drive, rushed for 100 yards on 26 carries. Lacy is the first 100-yard rusher the Lions’ defense has allowed this season. James Starks rushed five times for 26 yards.
Bell, meanwhile, was held to just 60 yards on 13 carries. Stafford finished 20 of 41 for 217 yards and three touchdowns, the third coming late in the game on a 6-yard pass to running back Theo Riddick. Riddick had five catches for 34 yards and the touchdown. Johnson had four catches for 39 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Golden Tate had three catches for 45 yards.
Defensive tackle Mike Daniels also had a sack. The Packers only allowed the one sack on Flynn. While Rodgers didn’t take a sack, he did get stepped on by Ndamukong Suh.
“He’ll probably say it was an accident, he was getting blocked into him,” Rodgers said. “That’s what (referee) Walt Anderson said, but we’ll see.”
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