It was not the greatest weather conditions to play football at Lambeau Field. Rain pretty much summed up the game's whole premise, with players slipping and sliding on the turf and dropped catches on both sides of the ball. Nevertheless, the Lions won, cementing their reign on top of the NFC North. Backyard football in the rain pretty much sums up the entirety of this game. No real flashy plays were made, no deep balls, just pure dirt and grit.
Offense
There was some improvement from Jared Goff in terms of passing yards, throwing for 145 yards compared to last week's 94 (but in all fairness, he didn't need to throw it in that game for the Lions to win). He added one touchdown in this week's win to Amon Ra St. Brown, with the latter adding probably one of the funniest and best touchdown celebrations ever. This won't help the Jared Goff MVP case, but I don't think he is more worried about his accolades than the teams. Montogomery and Gibbs continued to share the load, both under 100 yards rushing, but contributed massively to moving the ball downfield in the weather conditions. Gibbs capped it off with a touchdown as well. Receivers and tight ends also got their share of the football, and even Brock Wright made a catch. The wet conditions did not make it easy to make highlight plays for the offense, but their main objective was to get the win and dry, which they did.
Player of the Game: Amon Ra St. Brown
Defense
An argument can be made that the Lion's defense got lucky in this game. Jordan Love had some good throws in the pocket, but the receivers dropped them because of the rain. Bad conditions laid the foundation for the defense to hold off the Packers. Not to mention safety, Brian Branch was kicked out of the game due to a controversial targeting call in the 1st quarter. At first, the refs let it go, but then a call from New York changed that, and Branch was suspended for the remainder of the game for "targeting". Even Tom Brady was baffled by the late call. I do not see him getting more than just a fine, which is a relief for the Lions moving forward. Kirby Joseph avenged the call by grabbing a pick-six from Jordan Love on a poor screen pass. Not a great day for the defense, but they got the job done despite the conditions and Branch's questionable suspension.
Player of the Game: Kirby Joseph
What's Next
The Lions head to Houston to battle the Texans on Sunday Night Football. The Texans are in a weird spot: CJ Stroud isn't up to par with his rookie year, and Stefon Diggs's being out for the season isn't helping the offense. I expect the Lions to capitalize on the Texans' confusion and struggles and come out victorious on Sunday night. It won't be pretty, but it will be a good game to watch regardless.
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