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The Detroit Lions outclass the Green Bay Packers 24:14 at rainy Lambeau Field

The Detroit Lions outclass the Green Bay Packers 24:14 at rainy Lambeau Field
Posted on | Posted on angela

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GREEN BAY – It doesn’t matter how much talent the Green Bay Packers have on their roster. If they don't polish their game, they won't get where they ultimately want to be this season.

For the second year in a row, the Packers fell to the Detroit Lions on their home court with a 24-14 defeat. It wasn't because the Packers lacked the talent to win. They can take on any squad in the NFL. But talent doesn't equal winning when the play on the field is sloppy.

Punish. Bad snapshots. Drops. Another terrible interception. The Packers made a series of mistakes that can't happen against any opponent, let alone a Lions team that improved to 7-1 and came into the game as the NFC's best team.

On paper, this Packers squad has enough talent to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this season. Without addressing a long list of problems, they won't make the playoff breakthrough they desire. With this in mind, the bye week comes at an ideal time.

Here are some quick observations after a lackluster loss:

Jordan Love's interception problems hit a new low before halftime

One question that floated around during the first half of this Packers season was when Love's interceptions would hurt the Packers. The answer came on Sunday. Less than a minute before halftime, Love was flushed out of the pocket to avoid the Lions' pass rush. The only decision I had to make was to throw away the football, stop the clock and live for the next snap. Love instead tried to throw a pass to running back Josh Jacobs. His throw never had a chance. Safety Kerby Joseph intercepted the pass and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. It was Love's 10th interception of the season, so being careless with the football is nothing new. None was a worse decision. With his sixth pick, Joseph tied for the NFL lead with Xavier McKinney, who didn't have an interception on Sunday. So it's not like the Packers were surprised that the Lions' safety is a ball hawk. Neither was more effective, turning a 10-3 game into a 17-3 hole for the Packers at the start of the half. Love is a talented quarterback with a big arm and has made a lot of big plays this season, but he needs to learn that the quarterback's most important job is to take care of the football. Sometimes the real game is no game at all.

The Packers' penalty plague is becoming an untenable situation

It wasn't just the quarterback that was inefficient for the Packers. As a team, the years-long struggle with penalties also reached a new low. The Packers had seven penalties before the Lions drew their first flag, starting on the first play of the game. Keisean Nixon returned the first kickoff to the 40-yard line, but an unnecessary roughness penalty pushed the Packers back to their 25-yard line. There were plenty of other examples of the Packers going backwards. A false start from Jacobs, who set up first and 15th place. A fourth-and-goal push to TJ Slaton allowed a short touchdown on the Lions' first drive. A third and third false start for Sean Rhyan. A holding penalty when Kamal Hadden was called up to the practice squad cost an additional 10 yards on a punt return. And that was just the first 21 minutes. The Packers, who have now incurred 66 penalties this season, will continue to be among the five most penalized teams in the NFL heading into bye week. It's no secret what the coaching staff needs to work on.

The Packers' reconfigured offensive line with inactive center Josh Myers is picking the wrong time for snap problems

The Packers are fortunate to have versatile depth on their offensive line that can cover injuries. But there is no substitute for the starting center. Josh Myers was inactive Sunday with a left wrist injury, moving left guard Elgton Jenkins to center and freshman Jordan Morgan to left guard. With Love spending most of Sunday in shotgun to protect his injured groin, it put a lot of pressure on Jenkins to fill a spot he has rarely played since entering the league. Jenkins managed to deliver most of the snap, but two low shotgun balls late in the third quarter ended a promising effort. On second-and-10 at the Detroit 14-yard line, Jenkins' snap went around Love's knee and slipped through the quarterback's hands. Running back Emanuel Wilson picked up the loose football, gained 9 yards, and set up a third-and-11 throw. Love had a chance to catch the snap on second down, but not on third down. Jenkins dribbled the football back to Love and the quarterback had no choice but to fall on it. The poor snap balls forced the Packers to settle for a field goal rather than potentially cut their deficit to 24-10 early in the fourth quarter.

More: Lions safety: Brian Branch ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Bo Melton

The Packers defense fails to gain the decisive advantage to get the momentum back on their side

This is a truly talented offense that the Lions bring to the field every week. The Packers defense allowed just 17 points, the second-fewest points Detroit has scored all season and the fewest since Week 2. Even with the Lions milking the clock at the end, it was an impressive performance for Coordinator's unit Jeff Hafley. Especially with cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) and safety Evan Williams (hamstring) being inactive. But a defense that benefited from taking the football away was unable to produce the game-winning turnover. It's reassuring that the Packers can put together a solid defensive performance even without a takeaway. But that's something to keep an eye on as the Packers return to Detroit next month for another crucial showdown.

The Packers don't have a kicking problem after Brandon McManus' first missed shot

Brandon McManus finally missed a kick. To be fair, the weather conditions on Sunday were not ideal for kicking. There was rain, wind and the worst elements Lambeau Field has to offer. But McManus sailed a 46-yard field goal wide of the left net in the first half, preventing the Packers from getting within 7-6. McManus made his other two field goals. His first was a 38-yarder that capped the Packers' first drive. His second was a 30-yarder after his miss. McManus has been a revelation for the Packers in his three games. He scored two game-winning goals and showed significantly more pure productivity than Anders Carlson or Brayden Narveson. While this doesn't give the impression that another kicking problem is looming, the Lions are not a team to miss points against.

This story has been updated to change or add a photo or video.

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