Lions retain control of NFC North with late win over Packers

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions firmly positioned themselves to repeat as back-to-back NFC North champions with a gritty 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on Thursday night.

The Lions have now won 11 straight games, which is the longest streak in franchise history, despite falling behind 28-24 in the fourth quarter and overcoming a host of defensive injuries.

The Lions haven’t lost to Green Bay since Nov. 23, 2023, 378 days ago, and their only loss this season came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 15.

Here are the most important things to know coming into Thursday night for both teams:

Promising trend: Detroit’s “Sonic & Knuckles” running duo, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, continued to feast on Thursday. Montgomery, also known as “Knuckles,” helped the Lions score first with a 3-yard touchdown on the first drive. Gibbs, nicknamed “Sonic,” gave the Lions a much-needed halftime boost with a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jared Goff with 11 seconds left in the second quarter. Gibbs and Montgomery also made history Thursday, becoming the first Lions running back duo to record at least 12 touchdowns from scrimmage in a single season.

Worrying trend: Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold has been called for pass interference seven times this season, which is the most in the league. On Thursday, he was tagged in the end zone while covering Packers receiver Christian Watson with 5:49 in the second quarter, setting up a Josh Jacobs rushing touchdown on the next play.

Most surprising performance: Lions WR Tim Patrick. Patrick continued to find a role within Detroit’s high-powered offense with six receptions for 43 yards against Green Bay. He caught his first receiving touchdown as a Lion on a 3-yard pass from Goff at 5:02 in the third quarter, then caught his second touchdown on a 1-yard toss from Goff with 8:39 left in the quarter. They were Patrick’s first touchdowns in the NFL since 2021, when he played for the Denver Broncos. Patrick, who missed the 2022 and 2023 seasons with knee and Achilles injuries, was signed to Detroit’s practice squad in August before signing with the active roster on September 24 before Week 4. –Eric Woodyard

Next match: vs. Buffalo Bills (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, December 15)

It sure looks like the Packers are out of the NFC North race, but if Thursday’s loss to the Lions was any indication, they’re not conceding anything just yet.

The Packers (9-4) fell three games behind the Lions (12-1) with four games left. The Vikings (10-2) are caught between the two.

The problem for the Packers is that they were swept by the Lions, who won convincingly earlier this season at Lambeau Field. This time, however, they pushed the Lions to the limit in what was a tied game when the Lions took control with 3:38 left.

The Packers are now 1-3 in the division and still have to go to Minnesota in Week 17 before closing out the Bears, the only NFC North team they’ve beaten this season.

Fundamental game: In a game with so many twists and turns, it ultimately came down to whether the Packers’ defense could make one last stop to give them a chance for a last-minute drive or overtime. And he couldn’t. On second-and-17 from the Packers’ 37-yard line, the defense allowed Goff to hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for 16 yards on a crossing route. Even though Packers backup safety Zayne Anderson stopped Montgomery for no gain on third-and-1 at the 21-yard line, Montgomery converted on fourth-and-1, even as Goff stumbled before handing the ball off, to set up the game. Game-winning field goal.

QB Breakdown: Jordan Love had a total of 31 passing yards in the first half. That changed quickly after halftime. He nearly doubled that number on his first throw of the second half, a 59-yard completion to wide receiver Christian Watson. That led to a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tucker Kraft that cut the Lions’ lead to 17-14 less than two minutes into the second half. The deep pass to Watson was 42 yards in the air for Love’s fourth completion this season of 40 or more passing yards. Only Washington’s Jayden Daniels (with five) has more such completions this season. Love finished the night 12-of-21 for 206 yards and a touchdown pass.

Most surprising performance: How often do an NFL head coach and a fan on the field get into a shouting match before the game? Packers coach Matt LaFleur did it. He seemed to lose his cool before the game even started. LaFleur was caught on camera talking to a Lions fan who was part of the group holding the American flag during the national anthem. Speaking of LaFleur, he fell to 0 for 5 in replay challenges this season after losing one in the second quarter. He raised the red flag to question the placement of the ball on a 4-yard gain by Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs on a third-and-4 play from his own 17-yard line. -Rob Demovsky

Next match: at Seattle Seahawks (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, December 15)