Lions Bounce Pack

No soup for you, Mr. Rodgers.

The Packers blew their shot at the playoffs by falling to the Lions, 20-16 on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.

Detroit had nothing to play for, having been eliminated earlier in the day by Seattle’s win. The Packers had a playoff berth on the line and let it get away, sending the Seahawks to the postseason as the NFC’s No. 7 seed.

The Packers blew several scoring chances, settling for field goals in the first half and then fumbling late in the first half in scoring territory. Dropped passes and poor discipline penalties added up to the Lions taking control with two touchdown drives in the second half, and Green Bay’s last possession ended in an interception by S Kerby Joseph on a deep ball against an all-out blitz on third down.

The Lions then ran out the remaining clock, converting on fourth down in the red zone before kneeling it out. Detroit finished the season 9-8.

For the Packers, QB Aaron Rodgers was 17-of-27 for 205 yards with one TD, one INT and an 83.1 passer rating. Rookie WR Christian Watson had five catches for 104 yards, and WR Allen Lazard had four catches for 41 yards and a TD. RB Aaron Jones had 12 carries for 48 yards, and RB AJ Dillon had nine carries for 33 yards.

For the Lions, QB Jared Goff was 23-of-34 for 224 yards and an 85.9 passer rating, while former Packers RB Jamaal Williams had 16 carries for 72 yards and two TDs, finishing the season with a Detroit record 17 rushing TDs, breaking Barry Sanders’ team mark. WR Kalif Raymond had four catches for 66 yards, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown had six catches for 49 yards, and RB D’Andre Swift had seven grabs for 61 yards. Swift added six carries for 25 yards on the ground.