Matt LaFleur, the coach of the Green Bay Packers, used some strong words after they lost 34-20 to the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. He said the Lions really beat them and used words like ‘whooped,’ ‘manhandled,’ ‘ass kicked,’ and ‘whipped.'”
The Packers had a tough start to the game. In the first quarter, the Lions gained 194 yards, while the Packers only got 1 yard. In the first half, it was 284 yards for the Lions and just 23 yards for the Packers.
The Packers only managed to get three first downs (two were because of penalties), and their quarterback got sacked four times. By halftime, the score was 27-3, and the home fans weren’t happy, so they booed.
The Packers tried really hard in the second half and scored some points, making the score 27-17 in the early part of the fourth quarter. But the tough start they had in the first half made it too difficult for them to come all the way back.
“Coach LaFleur gave Detroit a lot of credit. He said they came and played really well, beating us pretty good,” LaFleur said after the loss. “But I was happy with how our team kept trying in the second half. I told them at halftime to keep playing hard, and I think we did just that.
We had a chance. With a 10-point lead and heavy penalties, it became a three-possession game. However, there are many improvements in all areas.
I think when you go out there, and you cannot run the football effectively, or you can’t stop the run, you lose the football, and that is exactly what happened tonight. Let’s give Detroit credit. We knew they were a tough opponent, but they treated us really badly at every stage.”
If I Had Known, This Would Not Have Happened “Mad Matt”
Mad Matt questioned why the club had made such a poor start, having conceded three points in each of the past two weeks.
“I mean, you saw it. We were screwed. “If I had known, this would not have happened,” he said, clearly upset. “It was not enough. They whipped us. They abused us. If I had known the answer, none of that would have happened.”
After receiving an interception on Rudy Ford’s first drive, Green Bay quickly spiraled. After the pick, the offense went for a three-and-FG, the first of five drives that started the contest without a first down. The Packers gained -1 net yards on their first five possessions. The defense allowed Detroit to score on four consecutive drives, erasing the lead.
Jordan Love threw two interceptions (one early, one late), but there were no signs of success until Green Bay took a three-point lead.
The Green Bay D Played Well Rushing
“It’s hard to throw with him on his back. We have to protect him more,” said LaFleur, who was sacked five times and put more pressure on him, even though the Lions didn’t storm. He talked about QB. LaFleur called the early offensive incompetence “humiliating” but was encouraged by his club’s second-half performance.
The Packers had two shots on goal in the second half and gradually regained control of the game, but a penalty by Kei Walker midway through the fourth quarter extended the Lions’ lead to three points, effectively clinching the game.
The Green Bay D played well rushing but gave up 401 total yards, including 211 rushing yards. It was the second time this season that they gave up 211 rushing yards (Atlanta, Week 2).
“We’ve got to do something different because it’s crazy to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result,” LaFleur said of the run defense.
The home loss dropped the Packers to 2-2 on the season, giving them the lead in the NFC North to Detroit. With Aaron Rodgers gone and Love replacing him, Green Bay was bound to have problems early in the season. But the faithful probably never imagined that one of those low points would include a prime-time loss at home to a district rival.
