Drive-By-Drive Breakdown of Packers' 34-12 Win Over Lions

by Sean Yuille on Nov 27, 2009 4:24 PM EST in Game Recaps Comment 15 comments

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) is sacked by Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Johnny Jolly, right, in the second quarter of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)

2 months ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) is sacked by Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Johnny Jolly, right, in the second quarter of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)

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Here is a drive-by-drive look at how the Packers beat the Lions by a score of 34-12 on Sunday.

1st Quarter

This game couldn't have gotten off to a better start for the Lions. Green Bay's Jordy Nelson fumbled the opening kickoff and Jordon Dizon recovered to give the Lions the ball at the 20-yard line. A 12-yard pass to Brandon Pettigrew after a 2-yard run by Kevin Smith moved the Lions down to the 6, and a penalty for roughing the passer moved Detroit down to the 3. (Pettigrew was injured on the roughing the passer play and didn't return, by the way.) Smith picked up a couple yards on the next play, setting up a 1-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson. It was just a simple out pattern and the timing couldn't have been better, as it was a perfect play that put the Lions up 7-0.
The Packers' offense finally got on the field and just as we all expected, it moved the ball quite well. Green Bay was faced with third down on three different occasions, and each time it moved the chains. The Lions' defense finally did get a stop on the fourth third down of the drive, and the 8-minute or so long possession came to an end on a missed field goal. Mason Crosby booted the 43-yard attempt wide right, and Green Bay's lengthy drive was all for naught.
With a chance to extend its lead to two possessions, the Lions moved down the field initially thanks to Kevin Smith and Casey FitzSimmons. The drive came to a disappointing end, however, after Detroit got down to Green Bay's 37-yard line and faced 3rd and 3. Stafford was under heavy pressure and made a bad pass that was intercepted by Nick Collins at the 26.

The Packers quickly had 3rd and 11, and on the final play of the opening quarter Aaron Rodgers heaved a bomb downfield for an open Donald Driver, who made the catch for a gain of 68 yards. Rodgers had so much time to throw that Driver managed to get behind the coverage, so this big play happened because of a terrible pass rush and the defensive backs only being able to stay on their guys for so long.

2nd Quarter

Donald Lee scored on a tight end screen from 7 yards out to start the second quarter, tying the game up at 7.
The Lions moved the chains once before having to punt because Dennis Northcutt dropped a pass on 3rd and 6.
The Packers again moved the ball down the field thanks to third-down conversions before Lions penalties took over. Louis Delmas made a terrible play and drilled Jermichael Finley despite the pass sailing over both of them, resulting in a personal foul penalty. Then, on the very next play, Marvin White was flagged for a horse collar tackle, moving the Packers down to the 8. Detroit's defense did a good job in the red zone yet again, however, keeping the Packers out of the end zone and holding them to a 20-yard field goal.
An unnecessary roughness penalty on the Packers on the proceeding kickoff gave Detroit great field position, but that didn't mean much since Matthew Stafford was picked off again just three plays into the drive. He threw a bad pass off of his back foot and gave the Packers the ball near midfield.
Green Bay moved the ball quite effectively once again until they reached the red zone, which is when the Lions made a stop and Mason Crosby had to kick another field goal. This one was from 25 yards out and put Green Bay up 13-7.
The Lions had about a minute left in the half to do something, and a face mask penalty moved Detroit into GB territory. Detroit didn't move the ball after that, though, and Stafford was sacked twice in the next four plays as the half came to an end.

3rd Quarter

Trailing by only 6 points, the Lions got the ball to start the second half and had a chance to cut the lead in half or possibly take the lead. Well, any hopes of that happening quickly came to an end when Matthew Stafford was picked off by Charles Woodson on the second play of the drive. Woodson made a great catch for the interception, and Green Bay took over on the Detroit 38.
The Lions' defense bailed out Stafford, because it held Green Bay to fourth down and the Packers decided to go for it. Julian Peterson smoked Aaron Rodgers from behind to force a fumble that was recovered by Jason Hunter at the 37. Just like that the Lions took over and again had a chance to put some points on the board.
Detroit's offensive woes continued on the next drive, and although it didn't turn the ball over this time, a three and out led to a punt.
Aaron Rodgers opened Green Bay's next drive with a 45-yard pass to Donald Driver, and after that he threw the ball on five straight plays. A scramble for 5 yards ended the streak of passes, but he went back to the air on the very next play and found Driver in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown.
The Lions got a couple big plays to put Jason Hanson in position to kick a field goal after the drive stalled. Unlike last year, where Hanson was automatic from beyond 50 yards, he kicked the 54-yarder wide right.
Green Bay quickly capitalized on the missed kick by going down the field and scoring a touchdown in only 5 plays. Aaron Rodgers completed a 21-yard pass to James Jones for the score to put Green Bay up 27-7.

4th Quarter

Both teams went three and out to start the final quarter of the game, but the Lions' offense woke up on their next drive. A 47-yard pass to Dennis Northcutt was the spark the Lions needed, and after that they quickly moved down to the 1-yard line. Sadly that was as far as they got. Despite having three shots at the end zone from the 1, the Lions failed to score and turned the ball over on downs.
Detroit did pin Green Bay deep in their own territory because of the failed fourth down attempt, and that allowed Louis Delmas to tackle Ryan Grant in the end zone for a safety. The ball came loose and was recovered by Jordon Dizon for a touchdown, but the Packers challenged and Grant was ruled down. Even so, Detroit now trailed 27-9 and had momentum on its side.
A good return by Northcutt sparked another good big drive and again the Lions got down near the goal line. This time they failed to score from the 4, and rather than go for the touchdown, Jason Hanson came in and kicked a 22-yard field goal. The field goal made this a two-possession game, but not for long.
The Packers went three and out, and it looked like the Lions were on the verge of making things interesting. Well, Matthew Stafford did make one play interesting, but that was because Charles Woodson jumped a route and returned an interception to the house for a touchdown. The Lions now trailed 34-12, and this game was as good as over.
Woodson forced another turnover on the Lions' next drive, stripping Casey FitzSimmons of the ball and recovering it. The Packers were now able to run out the clock, sealing their 34-12 victory.

This was a case of the Lions taking a couple steps forward last week and a step back this week against Green Bay. The offense was basically missing for most of the game, and the defense, just like the first meeting at Lambeau Field, gave up a ton of big plays but kept the Packers' offense under 30 by holding them to a bunch of field goals.

Going forward, the Lions need to hope that Matthew Stafford gets healthy and stops making so many bad passes under pressure. That's tough for any quarterback to do, but Stafford has to learn to just take the sack or throw the ball away rather than try to make something happen. Let's just hope that he bounces back after this rough game with another great performance next week in Cincinnati.

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Comments

safety

I thought that was a bad call on the reversal. A reversal should be ver clear but they often don’t call it that way. It looked to me like the ball was starting to come loose, If we get a touchdown there we are only down by 14 which changes the game.

by lions09 on Nov 28, 2009 9:11 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

lol

Yeah….probably to a final score of 34-17 instead of 34-12.

by KDawg on Nov 28, 2009 1:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

We were clearly outmatched on Thanksgiving

on the defensive side of the ball. We we’re going to lose this game anyway. Sucks

I spray paint my dog Honolulu Blue and Silver

Pic - me vs. Bears fans

by NYCLionsfan on Nov 29, 2009 9:50 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

When we were playing against the team that had allowed 43 sacks on their QB, and we could only get 1 sack (from an outside linebacker) it became blatantly obvious that we have no pass rush on the defensive line. We were unable to get a single sack by a defensive lineman against the worst pass blocking offensive line in the league? That is just unbelievable. It clearly shows that we have a desperate need for an interior defensive lineman in the upcoming draft…..a prospect that is sure to create havoc and get a consistent push in the middle of the line. I have paid close attention to our defensive ends…..Turk McBride is doing a great job. Jason Hunter had been doing a great job prior to the injury. Avril and White are getting upfield too. The problem is that our defensive ends are not edge rushers that can beat an offensive tackle on speed alone. They are good at bull rushing and getting upfield, but the lack of a push in the middle is allowing opposing QBs to simply step up in the pocket to avoid the rush of our defensive ends, because the DTs are not collapsing the pocket in the middle of the line.

I’ve said this before, and I will say it again…..if we had defensive tackles that could collapse the pocket in the middle of the line, it would cause lateral movement by the opposing QB to avoid the rush there, it would prevent him from simply stepping up in the pocket, and it would allow our defensive ends to get more sacks. Plus, if the QB does not move left or right (and we are generating a push in the middle of the line), we would get more sacks and pressures on the opposing QB because of the play of our DTs. Believe it or not, a solid pass rush would do wonders for our secondary, as it would give the opposing QBs and WRs much less time to adjust to coverage schemes, which in turn would produce more turnovers of the INT variety. Our corners ARE average at best currently…..and expecting them to cover for 6+ seconds on every play is ludicrous. If we had a pass rush that actually forced the opposing QB to get rid of the ball in less than 4 seconds (as it should be), then our average corners might have a better chance at deflecting passes or making a break on the ball! Couple that idea with drafting a couple of young and talented corners over the next year or two, and suddenly we have a solid defense! GASP!!! What a concept!

This is why I say that our front office needs to recognize that regardless of who the BPA overall is, we need to focus on the BPA for positions of need. I am hoping beyond all hope that the BPA overall actually falls into the BPA based on need category when we make our picks. I firmly believe that we have a desperate need to focus on the offensive and defensive line NOW. If players in those positions are not conducive with the talent level that we need in our respective draft positions, then I suppose we will be forced to draft the BPA overall…..but in my opinion that will only prolong our misery for a couple more years. I think we can become an 8-8 team next season if we just put some guys on the lines that can get the job done. Once we solidify the foundation, then we can focus on putting the rest of the support beams in position.

by KDawg on Nov 29, 2009 3:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

DT is a HUGE need

They are doing a fair job of stopping the run, but like you said, the interior rush is very poor so getting a guy who can penetrate from the inside is crucial. I’m hoping we spend either our top pick or our 2nd rounder on a DT.

2009 = The start of the Lions Golden Age (We hope).
Zack Follett: he will hurt your mind.

by Hyperion Ecta on Nov 29, 2009 5:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed Dawg, BPA for position of need (aka Modified BPA)

I’ve been pushing for awhile now (pardon the pun) for huge, insanely strong DT’s who can bull-rush the interior of the OL and push it back to collapse the pocket……the “consistent push in the middle of the line” you’re looking for. Gunther seems to be wanting this also. He’s already commented on his wish for GIANT DT’s and really fast DE’s, has started SLH and Grady Jackson together, and even took a flyer on Sean Smith. The Big Daddy/Big Baby style of DT’s is on its way back to Detroit.

The thing that has me scraching my head is……why isn’t Avril doing better? He’s very fast. Avril seems like he’s a good fit for Gunther’s system, and a guy who could do what Dawg wants…..be an edge rusher who can beat his man with speed. But it’s not happening this year. Is it because the current DT’s (at their current level of development) aren’t helping Avril enough by drawing double teams? Is it because Avril, who had success last year at RDE rushing the blind side, is not adjusting well to playing LDE on the strong side? That’s my suspicion. I don’t understand why we’ve got Dwayne White at RDE and Avril at LDE. They both seemed to have more success before the other way around. If it were up to me, I’d switch them around.

What? He can’t block a dead gopher? Humph, details.

by GRLion on Nov 29, 2009 6:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Avril is not improving.....

And that is the problem with him….teams are able to watch the tape and see what he does, and simply plan for it. He needs to improve his technique, which has not happened in my opinion. He is fast enough to beat the tackle on the edge, but he has to know when to cut back inside and when to keep running on the outside. A DE’s primary responsibility (and this is Football 101) is to CONTAIN! CONTAIN! CONTAIN! Their secondary responsibility is to rush the QB.

It most certainly does not help that our DTs are not getting any kind of pass rush in the middle. Whether or not the DTs are drawing a double team or not should have no bearing on the DE though. Rarely have I seen a guard double down on a DE…..usually it is a 1 on 1 matchup between the DE and the OT (unless there is a blocking TE). However, if the DTs were generating a pass rush in the middle (one of them drawing a double team while the other one is one on one with a guard) not only would it free up our linebackers to shoot the gaps, but also it would force lateral movement by the QB, hopefully which would run him right into the path of our DEs (who are containing on the outside while getting upfield).

I think White is on his way out…..he can’t get it done as a LDE, and he is not getting it done on the other side. Avril is too small to play LDE and with Turk McBride and Jason Hunter playing well, White may no longer be needed. It’s tough to say what the Lions will do there, but I can see them drafting a DE in 2011 maybe (I’m hoping they make do with what they have at DE for at least another year. I think that the DTs are the main problem on the D-line right now). The jury is still out on Avril….but I have hope that he will emerge soon. If not, then we can move on in 2011.

by KDawg on Nov 29, 2009 7:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm willing to give Avril at least another year before starting to get worried

Sure, he hasn’t been getting the sacks we want, but it can take players time to mature, and he does have the speed to get around that edge. Like you said, if a DT can force a QB to shift in the pocket than Avril might find the sacks easier to come by. We’ll see how he goes for the rest of the season.

2009 = The start of the Lions Golden Age (We hope).
Zack Follett: he will hurt your mind.

by Hyperion Ecta on Nov 30, 2009 12:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Me too HE

by KDawg on Nov 30, 2009 7:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah Dawg, what you say about Avril might be right.....that reminds me of Kalimba Edwards

Kalimba relied on his natural athletic ability and speed, but didn’t read plays, was predictable, and didn’t learn or improve. I too suspect Avril is too small (or at the very least too weak) to play LDE. I too could see White getting cut, McBride and Hunter kept for now for LDE, and Avril given another chance at RDE if we can start the season with both McBride and Hunter on the roster and healthy at the same time. Then we’ll see how Avril does and possible draft a DE in 2011.

What? He can’t block a dead gopher? Humph, details.

by GRLion on Dec 2, 2009 9:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

"took a flyer on Sean Smith"?

Unless the Lions were going to use the 33 pick, how would they get Smith? Being that he went 61, it would have been quite the reach.
While Smith has no picks, the Phins are quite happy with him and he has started every game. I would not mind having him on the team, but I don’t see where the Lions could be said to have taken a flyer on him.

by rbanner on Nov 29, 2009 8:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs