Lions 37, Packers 30: Instant analysis of Green Bay’s Week 18 loss

The Green Bay Packers took a fourth-quarter lead in Detroit but were unable to hang on, and Matt LaFleur’s team finished the 2021 regular season with a 37-30 loss to the Lions on Sunday at Ford Field.

The defeat dropped the Packers, who already clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, to 13-4.

Here’s our instant analysis of the Packers’ win, highlighting what went right, what went wrong and what it all means moving forward:

Game recap

(AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

The game changed when…the Lions converted on 3rd-and-5 with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter and then scored a go-ahead touchdown one play later. Detroit scored the final 10 points of the game.

The game was over when…Jordan Love was intercepted by Tracy Walker with 21 seconds left and the Packers down seven points. He got hit while throwing deep down the middle to Equanimeous St. Brown, and the throw under pressure was off the mark.

The game ball goes to…receiver Allen Lazard. He dominated in the first half, catching two touchdown passes and leading the team with 75 receiving yards.

What went right

(AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)

Aaron Rodgers tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Allen Lazard, who finished with five catches for 75 yards and the two scores. Lazard is really trending in the right direction entering the postseason.

Left tackle David Bakhtiari and center Josh Myers both returned from injuries and played quality snaps in the first half.

A.J. Dillon and Patrick Taylor combined for 116 rushing yards. The run blocking was generally good. Taylor scored his first career touchdown.

Tight end Josiah Deguara created one of the best plays of his career when he caught a screen, broke a pair of tackles and raced 62 yards to give the Packers a 30-27 lead in the fourth quarter. He blocked well, too.

Defensive lineman Dean Lowry had a third-down sack and a second tackle for loss.

Rookie Amari Rodgers had his best punt return of the season, taking a third-quarter punt for 23 yards.

What went wrong

Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond.

The Packers gave up a pair of long touchdowns on gadget plays. Kalif Raymond went 75 yards for a score on a trick pass from receiver Tom Kennedy in the first quarter, and Brock Wright caught a 36-yard touchdown pass on another trick play in the third quarter.

Rookie receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had a big day. He caught eight passes for 109 yards and a score.

Overall, the Packers defense gave up 37 points and over 400 total yards despite playing most starters. The group did not have a takeaway. The Lions averaged 7.0 yards per play.

After going up 30-27, the Packers gave up a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive.

The Packers had three total turnovers and lost the turnover battle 3-0.

Kicker Mason Crosby missed an extra point, his second of the season.

Receiver Juwann Winfree had a fumble setting up a Lions touchdown. Rookie Amari Rodgers had a drop resulting in an interception.

Rookie Royce Newman got beat badly on a stunt, creating the pressure that helped cause Love’s second interception and end the game.

What it means

(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Not much. This was an inconsequential game for Matt LaFleur’s team, no matter how it played out or ended. No one will be happy with a loss, especially to a division rival, but the game finished without a season-altering injury for the Packers, which was the best possible result. (Note: Injuries to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Chandon Sullivan will need to be monitored over the next two weeks.) The defense was shaky throughout the game, but it’s fair to wonder if this was just a group playing a football game at 75 percent energy. Unless the playoffs are littered with teams hitting gadget plays on the Packers, it’s hard to imagine this performance having any impact on what’s to come.

What's next

(AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

The Packers have a week off during the first round of the NFC playoffs. Matt LaFleur’s team will host the lowest remaining seed in the divisional round at Lambeau Field in two weeks.

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