A brilliant defensive play from the Packers took the spotlight as they forced three fumbles which helped guide them to victory.
First Quarter
The Packers took charge early in the first quarter, as quarterback Jordan Love threw to his wide receiver Christian Watson for a massive gain of 53 yards. This was then finished off with a ten-yard touchdown through a catch from wide receiver Jayden Reed to take a 7-0 lead within the first three minutes of the game.
The in-form Lions responded quickly, as quarterback Jared Goff led his offense down the field to the red zone, where he found tight end Sam LaPorta for a touchdown. They could not tie the game, however, as Lions kicker Riley Patterson could not convert the extra point.
The Packers were not phased by the Lions’ response, as they continued to dominate the first quarter in impressive style. Love managed to find his tight end Tucker Kraft for a nine-yard touchdown as the Packers extended their lead.
It quickly got worse for Detroit, as on their opening drive in response to the Packers touchdown, Jared Goff was sacked by Packers linebacker Rashan Gary, leading to a fumble. The fumble was recovered by safety Jonathan Owens and he took the ball to the end zone to give Green Bay a two-score lead to conclude a manic first quarter.
Second Quarter
The second quarter was much less hectic for both sides, as the only score came from the Packers yet again. This came from Packers kicker Anders Carlson, as he converted a 43-yard field goal. Carlson also had an opportunity to score another field goal to conclude the half, but his audacious 63-yard attempt was not converted.
This meant that the score going into halftime was Detroit 7-23 Green Bay.
Third Quarter
The third quarter began with what looked like the beginning of a Lions resurgence, as running back David Montgomery rushed for six yards to secure a second Lions touchdown.
Montgomery followed this up by rushing yet again for a two-point conversion to cut the Packers’ lead to just nine points, making up for their earlier missed extra-point conversion.
The Lions’ comeback did not last long however, as, with just over three minutes left in the third quarter, Love would find Watson yet again for a 16-yard reception for Love’s third touchdown throw of the game. This meant that Green Bay took a 15-point lead into the final quarter, putting the game out of reach for Detroit.
Fourth Quarter
Although the Lions showed promise in the final quarter, by the two-minute warning they had still not managed to score thanks to a fantastic Packers defensive performance.
They finally managed to get back onto the scoreboard with 45 seconds left in the game, as Goff found his receiver Josh Reynolds for a 12-yard touchdown.
Despite an added two-point conversion from LePorta, the Lions did not have enough time to formulate a comeback and the Packers earned a massive win over their divisional rivals.
Summary
The win takes the Packers' season record to 5-6 as they edge closer to the desired .500 record and a chance to secure a playoff space.
It also means that the Packers have now won three of their last four matches in a miraculous change of fortunes after their poor start to the season.
The Lions remain top of the NFC North despite the loss but now have an 8-3 record, leaving them ranked third across the whole NFL after their fantastic season.
Despite Goff throwing for 332 yards, it was not enough to secure a Thanksgiving victory for the Lions fans.
The Lions will look to bounce back from this defeat and move even closer to securing a playoff berth as they take on the New Orleans Saints at Caeser’s Superdome in Week 13.
The Packers will be desperate to continue their brilliant form in Week 13, with a massive test against the current Superbowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field.